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1. In an effort to understand how antineoplastic pharmacotherapies are changing

ID: 3481895 • Letter: 1

Question

1. In an effort to understand how antineoplastic pharmacotherapies are changing from standard chemotherapies to more advanced "cancer-cell specific therapies, research the mechanism of action for the following antineoplastic/chemotherapy drug agents: - Trastuzumab Lapatinib - Pantitumumab - Bevacizumab Write a brief paragraph (4-6 sentences) on the mechanism of each of the above drugs, also include which gene and/or growth factor, associated with the cancerous cell/tumor growth, is a target of these particular drugs.

Explanation / Answer

1. Trastuzumab : Sold under brand name herceptin is a monoclonal antibody which targets HER2 (Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2) proteins expressed highly on breast or stomach cancer cells. Herceptin binds the HER2 receptors and make the cancer cells stop growing or die.

2. Lapatinib : Used to treat breast cancer and other solid tumours. It is a tryosine kinase inhibitor which can target HER2 and other epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathways.

3. Panitumumab : A monoclonal antibody which is used to treat colon cancers targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)

4. Bevacizumab : A monoclonal antibody which targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressed on cancer cells.