Revisiting DNA Intercalating Agents – August 1, 2002

Revisiting DNA Intercalating Agents – August 1, 2002

DNA intercalating agents are drugs that insert themselves into DNA, disrupting its normal function. The Latin suffix for these agents is BⅠcⅠn, hence the Chinese term "bi xing" at the end. The most commonly used drugs in this category are daunorubicin (Adriamycin), epirubicin (Epirubicin), and doxorubicin (Doxorubicin). In recent years, Japanese scholar Professor Umezawa Hiroo has artificially synthesized a new generation of bi-xing drugs—pirarubicin—which has broader effects than previous products and relatively fewer side effects. The dosage of pirarubicin is 40 mg dissolved in 5% glucose, administered once every four weeks. In addition, mitoxantrone also belongs to this category, and these drugs share a common feature of reddish-purple color. The biggest side effect is cardiac toxicity.