While drug therapies developed in the last 80 years have markedly improved treatment outcomes and the management of some types of cancers, the lack of effectiveness and side effects associated with the most common treatment types remain unacceptable. However, recent technological advances are leading to improved therapies based on targeting distinct biological pathways in cancer cells. Chemistry and Pharmacology of Anticancer Drugs is a comprehensive survey of all families of anticancer agents and therapeutic approaches currently in use or in advanced stages of clinical trials, including biological-based therapies.

The book is unique in providing molecular structures for all anticancer agents, discussing them in terms of history of development, chemistry, mechanism of action, structure-function relationships, and pharmacology. It also provides relevant information on side effects, dosing, and formulation. The authors, renowned scientists in cancer research and drug discovery, also provide up-to-date information on the drug discovery process, including discussions of new research tools, tumor-targeting strategies, and fundamental concepts in the relatively new areas of precision medicine and chemoprevention.

Chemistry and Pharmacology of Anticancer Drugs

is an indispensable resource for cancer researchers, medicinal chemists and other biomedical scientists involved in the development of new anticancer therapies. Its breadth of coverage, clear explanations, and illustrations also make it suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, nutrition, the biomedical sciences, and related disciplines.

Key Features:

• Summarizes the fundamental causes of cancer, modes of treatment, and strategies for cancer drug discovery
• Brings together a broad spectrum of information relating to the chemistry and pharmacology of all families of anticancer agents and therapies
• Includes up-to-date information on cutting-edge aspects of cancer treatments such as biomarkers, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacogenomics
• Features new chapters on the "Evolution of Anticancer Therapies", "Antibody-Based Therapies", and "Cancer Chemoprevention"

About the Author

David Thurston is Emeritus Professor of Drug Discovery in the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (IPS) at King's College London. He has a first degree in pharmacy, an MSc in Precision Medicine and a PhD in synthetic medicinal chemistry, and has worked at two schools of pharmacy in the USA (University of Texas at Austin and Kentucky Colleges of Pharmacy) and four in the UK (the Portsmouth, Nottingham, London University and King's College School of Pharmacy). David's academic research team discovered the first C8-linked sequence-selective DNA-interactive PBD dimer, analogues of which are now used as the payload component for Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) in development by a number of companies world-wide as cancer therapies (e.g., Loncastuximab teserine). David has co-founded a number of oncology biotech companies including Spirogen Ltd in 2000 (which commercialized the PBD dimers, and was acquired by AstraZeneca/Medimmune in 2013), and Femtogenix Ltd in 2015 (which works on next-generation sequence-selective DNA-interactive ADC payloads, and for which he still acts as CSO).

During his academic career, David has supervised numerous PhD students and postdoctoral research fellows, and has been the PI of several major Program Grants from funders including Cancer Research UK. He has many publications in medicinal chemistry/chemistry journals and books, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Drug Discovery book series of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Ilona Pysz has a first degree in Forensic Science, an MSc in Cancer Pharmacology and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Science in which she produced a number of novel Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), and developed a hydrophobicity assay which allows the physico-chemical properties of ADC payloads to be evaluated and compared. She has previously worked within the Bioanalysis and Safety Assessment (Toxicology) departments at Covance Inc (where she was responsible for overall pre-clinical study coordination of both in-house and external research projects), the drug discovery department at Femtogenix Ltd (where she worked on the development of novel ADC conjugation strategies and managed ADC development projects), and is now in a clinical research position at Medpace, Inc. Ilona has published widely in the cancer drug discovery area, has given presentations at international conferences, and is a multiple author in the Royal Society of Chemistry Drug Discovery book "Cytotoxic Payloads for Antibody-Drug Conjugates".

Reviews

"...This text is a gem for any graduate student in the pharmaceutical sciences or for anyone seeking an introductory reference in the area of anticancer drugs."
- John S. Williamson, University of Mississippi, writing in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 50, No. 26: December 27, 2007

"The author explains in the foreword that this, 'book attempts to bring together a broad spectrum of information relating to the chemistry and pharmacology of anticancer drugs and therapies.' The author succeeds in this aim in a very elegant text. The book is both informative and easy to read. It is a very interesting book and would be a welcome addition to any individual's collection, and essential if this is your field."

- Steve Mitchell, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London in Imperial College of Science Technology, July 2008

". . . a noteworthy survey . . . The author, a renowned scientist in cancer research and drug development, clearly does not fail to provide up-to-date information on this trend in today's pharmacology. A book that covers such a large number of anticancer drugs, ranging from those in clinical use to those under basic research, is nearly impossible to write. Dr. Thurston has done so, however, thanks to his expertise in the field . . . easy readability and directness make the book ideal for students . . . an indispensable resource for the libraries of research institutes, universities, and hospitals."

- Matteo Conti, Ospedales S. Maria delle Croci, Ravenna, Italy, in ChemMedChem, 2007, No. 2

"The book is unique in providing molecular structures for all anticancer drugs, discussing them in terms of history, chemistry, mechanism of action, structure-function relationships, and pharmacology . . . This volume is an indispensable resource for cancer researchers, medicinal chemists, and other biomedical scientists involved in the development of new anticancer treatments."

- In Anticancer Research, 2009, Vol. 29

"As written, the book does an excellent job for its intended audience of advanced undergraduates and health-care professionals in training or those with only peripheral exposure to cancer therapy . . . Overall, the book is easy to read and manages to not be redundant. This is all quite an accomplishment considering the topic."

- RA Sikes, University of Delaware, in British Journal of Cancer, 2007, Vol. 97

Book Information
ISBN 9781439853269
Author David E. Thurston
Format Paperback
Page Count 592
Imprint CRC Press Inc
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 1691g