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Chibuike Okafor: Creating Chaos in Chaos – How Anticancer Drugs Outwit Rogue Cells

Photo from Chibuike Okafor/LinkedIn

Jun 23, 2024, 17:57

Chibuike Okafor: Creating Chaos in Chaos – How Anticancer Drugs Outwit Rogue Cells

Chibuike Okafor, Research Assistant at Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry University of Jos, shared on LinkedIn:

“Imagine a bustling city where normal cells are law-abiding citizens, following a strict schedule—the cell cycle. This cycle is like a high-tech factory line, regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and cyclins, ensuring everything runs smoothly and safely.

Now, meet the rebels: cancer cells. These outlaws hijack oncogenes, turning them into maniacal foremen who shout, ‘Build, build, build!’ They disable tumor suppressor genes, the city’s diligent police force. With no one to stop them, cancer cells speed through red lights, bypass checkpoints, and grow uncontrollably, leading to tumorous chaos.

Enter anticancer drugs, the elite special agents sent to restore order. These drugs target cancer cells’ constant division. Alkylating agents slip into their DNA, creating internal chaos. Others, like taxanes, tangle the mitotic spindles, halting cell division mid-process. Imagine cutting the cables on an elevator mid-rise—cancer cells are left hanging.

Normal cells, with robust repair teams and checkpoints, can pause and fix any damage caused by these drugs. It’s like having a trained emergency response team repairing disruptions. Cancer cells, lacking these safeguards, collapse under the drug-induced pressure.

The key differences—unregulated growth, loss of tumor suppressor function, and reckless cell cycle progression—make cancer cells perfect targets. Anticancer drugs exploit this chaos, turning the cancer cells’ strengths into fatal weaknesses.

So, picture this: a city overrun by rebels, with anticancer drugs as covert operatives striking where it hurts most, restoring peace, and letting normal cells carry on safely. ”