Radiosensitizers are chemicals or pharmaceutical agents that can enhance the killing effect on tumor cells by accelerating DNA damage and producing free radicals indirectly.

What drug is considered a radiosensitizer?

Hypoxic cell sensitizers are able to increase the radiosensitivity of tumor cells deficient of oxygen by inducing the formation and stabilization of DNA-toxic radicals, mimicking the effect of oxygen. These drugs include nitroimidazole, misonidazole, etanidazole, nimorazole, and efaproxaril.

What are Radioprotectors?

Radioprotectors are compounds used to prevent/protect the non-tumor cells from the harmful effects of radiation. To play their role these compounds should meet several criteria; among others, they should significantly protect normal cells from radiation without changing the tumor cell radiosensitivity.

Is doxorubicin a radiosensitizer?

Colony-forming assays demonstrated that composite doxorubicin-loaded micelles are radiosensitive, as shown by significantly reduced survival of cells treated by radiation + composite micelles compared with those treated with radiation + free doxorubicin or radiation alone.

How do Radioprotectors work?

Radioprotective compounds may suppress free radical formation, remove free radicals, induce natural radioprotector production (such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase), enhance DNA repair, reduce the post-radiation inflammatory response, or even delay cellular division allowing more time for …

What is Radiosensitizing chemotherapy?

6.4 Chemo-radiotherapy A radiosensitizer, or a radiosensitizing agent, is a pharmacologic agent that potentiates the toxicity of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses various external energy sources such as X-rays and protons to shrink tumors by disrupting their DNA.

Is cisplatin a radiosensitizer?

The hypoxic cell sensitizers (e.g. misonidazole), and thymidine analogs (e.g. bromodeoxyuridine) are examples of ‘true’ radiosensitizers; however, the radiosensitizers most commonly used today (cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil [5-FU], and taxanes) do have inherent cytotoxic activity and can increase damage to normal tissues.

What are the side effects of cisplatin?

Side Effects

  • Black, tarry stools.
  • blood in urine or stools.
  • burning, numbness, tingling, or painful sensations.
  • change in frequency of urination or amount of urine.
  • cough or hoarseness.
  • difficulty in breathing.
  • feeling of fullness in the ears.
  • fever or chills.

What is a radiosensitizing agent?

January 11, 2018. A radiosensitizer, or a radiosensitizing agent, is a drug that makes cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors by disrupting the DNA of cancer cells, causing them to die.

What is the difference between radiosensitizers and radiotherapy?

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors by disrupting the DNA of cancer cells, causing them to die. Radiosensitizers can be drugs that kill or inhibit growth of cancer cells, like chemotherapy, or drugs that only kill cancer cells when combined with radiation,…

How do radiosensitizing agents affect tumor cells?

A classic radiosensitizing agent increases the radiation-induced tumor cell kill without significant corresponding increase in normal tissue cell death, and on its own, the agent has almost minimal to no direct cell kill effect. Various agents have been explored to sensitize target cells to the effects of radiation.

Do you need a radiosensitizer for cancer treatment?

Some types of cancer, like lymphoma, respond to low enough doses of radiation therapy that radiosensitizers may not necessary, says Kozono.