Teniposide
Encyclopedia
Teniposide is a chemotherapeutic
medication
mainly used in the treatment of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). It is in a class of drugs known as podophyllotoxin
derivatives and slows the growth of cancer
cells in the body.
activity since teniposide does not intercalate into DNA or bind strongly to DNA. The cytotoxic effects of teniposide are related to the relative number of double-stranded DNA breaks produced in cells, which are a reflection of the stabilization of a topoisomerase II-DNA intermediate.
and burns if it leaks under the skin. It is sometimes used in combination with other anticancer drugs.
reactions, and alopecia
.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
medication
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
mainly used in the treatment of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). It is in a class of drugs known as podophyllotoxin
Podophyllotoxin
Podophyllotoxin , otherwise known as podofilox, is a non-alkaloid toxin lignan extracted from the roots and rhizomes of Podophyllum species. Under the trade name Condylox, a topical gel, it is used on the skin to treat external genital warts, caused by some types of the human papillomavirus...
derivatives and slows the growth of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
cells in the body.
Mechanism of action
Teniposide causes dose-dependent single- and double-stranded breaks in DNA and DNA-protein cross-links. The mechanism of action appears to be related to the inhibition of type II topoisomeraseType II topoisomerase
Type II topoisomerases cut both strands of the DNA helix simultaneously in order to manage DNA tangles and supercoils. They use the hydrolysis of ATP, unlike type I topoisomerase. In this process, these enzymes change the linking number of circular DNA by +/-2....
activity since teniposide does not intercalate into DNA or bind strongly to DNA. The cytotoxic effects of teniposide are related to the relative number of double-stranded DNA breaks produced in cells, which are a reflection of the stabilization of a topoisomerase II-DNA intermediate.
Administration
The medication is injected though a veinIntravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...
and burns if it leaks under the skin. It is sometimes used in combination with other anticancer drugs.
Side-effects
Teniposide, when used with other chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of ALL, results in severe myelosuppression. Other common side effects include gastrointestinal toxicity, hypersensitivityHypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system, including allergies and autoimmunity. These reactions may be damaging, uncomfortable, or occasionally fatal. Hypersensitivity reactions require a pre-sensitized state of the host. The four-group classification...
reactions, and alopecia
Alopecia
Alopecia means loss of hair from the head or body. Alopecia can mean baldness, a term generally reserved for pattern alopecia or androgenic alopecia. Compulsive pulling of hair can also produce hair loss. Hairstyling routines such as tight ponytails or braids may induce Traction alopecia. Both...
.