NANOPARTICLES APPLIED TO CANCER

Chemotherapy is based on the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells, as it prevents them from growing and being divided according to the cell cycle. On the other hand, this also affects healthy cells and creates side effects.

There are different drugs:

-We find alkylating agents (they damage DNA). Some examples are Cisplatin and altretamine.
-Secondly, we talk about antimetabolites. These interfere in the production of DNA and RNA. The most common are floxyridine and fludarabine.
-Also, there are anti-tumor antibiotics. The most common are called anthracyclines, interfere with enzymes that participate in DNA replication. A known example is Doxorrubucine.
-In addition, topoisomerase inhibitors, so DNA replication can not be performed.
-Mitosis inhibitors.
-Finally, there are corticosteroids. They are natural hormones that come from cortisol.