Determinants of resistance to antifolates: Biochemical phenotypes, their frequency of occurrence and circumvention Journal Article


Author: Sirotnak, F. M.
Article Title: Determinants of resistance to antifolates: Biochemical phenotypes, their frequency of occurrence and circumvention
Abstract: Biochemical alterations associated with acquired resistance of tumor cells to antifolates are diverse and multiple in number. These most often have included both quantitative and qualitative alterations at the level of membrane transport and of the primary intracellular target, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). More recent studies suggest determining biochemical alterations at the level of thymidylate synthase activity and 4-aminofolate polyglutamylation. Approaches to the circumvention of acquired antifolate resistance at the level of new drug design are described which incorporate a kinetic analysis of the various biochemical phenotypes and a systematic analysis of their structure-activity relationships. A consideration of the relative frequency of occurrence of individual phenotypes during therapy is also included. This introduces the notion of population genetics in an evaluation of resistance phenomenon and of clinically significant approaches for its circumvention.
Keywords: cancer chemotherapy; review; nonhuman; methotrexate; phenotype; drug resistance; pregnancy; dihydrofolate reductase; folic acid antagonist; folic acid antagonists; tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase; membrane transport; biological transport; polyglutamic acid; human; support, non-u.s. gov't; support, u.s. gov't, p.h.s.
Journal Title: NCI Monographs
Issue: 5
ISSN: 0893-2751
Publisher: Oxford University Press  
Date Published: 1987-06-01
Start Page: 27
End Page: 35
Language: English
PUBMED: 2448655
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Review -- Export Date: 5 February 2021 -- Source: Scopus
Citation Impact
MSK Authors
  1. Francis M Sirotnak
    184 Sirotnak