5-fluorouracil: mechanisms of action and clinical strategies

Nat Rev Cancer. 2003 May;3(5):330-8. doi: 10.1038/nrc1074.

Abstract

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used in the treatment of cancer. Over the past 20 years, increased understanding of the mechanism of action of 5-FU has led to the development of strategies that increase its anticancer activity. Despite these advances, drug resistance remains a significant limitation to the clinical use of 5-FU. Emerging technologies, such as DNA microarray profiling, have the potential to identify novel genes that are involved in mediating resistance to 5-FU. Such target genes might prove to be therapeutically valuable as new targets for chemotherapy, or as predictive biomarkers of response to 5-FU-based chemotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Biomarkers
  • Dihydrouracil Dehydrogenase (NADP)
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology*
  • Fluorouracil / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Interferons / pharmacology
  • Microsatellite Repeats
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Oxidoreductases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • RNA / metabolism
  • Thymidine Phosphorylase / genetics
  • Thymidylate Synthase / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / physiology

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Biomarkers
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • RNA
  • Interferons
  • Oxidoreductases
  • Dihydrouracil Dehydrogenase (NADP)
  • Thymidylate Synthase
  • Thymidine Phosphorylase
  • Fluorouracil