Current Issues of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences

EWELINA WAWRYK-GAWDA, PATRYCJA CHYLIŃSKA-WRZOS,
BARBARA JODŁOWSKA-JĘDRYCH, MARTA LIS-SOCHOCKA

Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit, Medical University in Lublin, Poland

Purine Nucleoside Analogs (PNAs) are classified as cytostatic drugs. These are used in therapy of tumours and in therapy of autoimmune diseases. In the 80s and 90s, cladribine, fludarabine and pentostatin had been accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in hematological cancer therapy [68]. The chemical structure of all PNAs is based on the nucleoside ring. The mechanism of action is multidirectional and it consists principally in the inhibition of replication and DNA repair, the inhibition of activity of DNA polymerases, as well as induction of accumulation of DNA strand breaks and apoptosis in target cells. These drugs have cytotoxic effects on both proliferating and quiescent cells. Numerous studies confirm that PNAs used in monotherapy and in combination with other cytostatic drugs or with antibodies, show good results and are relatively non-toxic.