How do chemo drugs bond with DNA?
Cancer cells are very sensitive to DNA damage. Alkylating agents bond with proteins that then create a double helix in the DNA which adds an aklyl group to almost all of the double helixes. By adding this aklyl group to the DNA, it causes the proteins that bond together to break apart. This is a way to stop the cancer cells from multiplying uncontrollably. This is one reason why alkylating agents are one of the most widely used chemo drugs that can affect the cancer in any stage. There are also 5 other main types of compounds that bind with DNA in the cell. Groove binders are compounds that interact with DNA and attract parts of the DNA to it's center so that the DNA cannot multiply. Intercalators interlock with the minor grooves of the DNA and helps hold the molecule in place. Certain types of intercalators are only useful when treating certain cancers (i.e. daunorubicin only works to fight leukemia cells.) Alkylators bond with the DNA which results in DNA Alkylation. This causes the DNA to stop multiplying uncontrollably. DNA cleavage agents are compounds that destroy the bond in the DNA so the cancer cells cannot reproduce.
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What are some side effects of chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy drugs are drugs that not only damage cancer cells, but they can also damage normal cells. Some of the main forms of side effects are bone marrow suppression, sore mouth, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, change in taste and smell, diarrhea, etc. Bone marrow suppression is when one or more of the main types of blood cells are decreased. For example, there could be a decrease in white blood cells which could increase the risk of infection. The blood count often reaches it's low at around 7-14 days after starting treatment. Sore mouth occurs anywhere between 5-14 days after treatment and this effect with go away slowly after a few weeks of treatment. The most common side effects of using chemotherapy drugs are nausea and vomiting. These effects can be seen within hours of treatment and can persist after for a few days. The mix of vomiting, nausea, and waste created from dying cells can cause a loss of appetite. This leads to massive loss in body weight and malnutrition, so you must keep a healthy diet during chemotherapy, or you could die. Other common side effects include dehydration, fatigue, constipation, hair loss, flu-like symptoms, etc.
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