MAITANSINE Meaning and
Definition
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Maitansine is a noun that refers to a potent cytotoxic compound derived from the African plant species, Maytenus serrata. It is specifically present in the bark and roots of this plant. Maitansine has gained significant interest in the field of medical research due to its potential as an anticancer agent.
The compound is classified as a maytansinoid and belongs to a family of natural products known as ansamycins. Maitansine exhibits a distinctive mechanism of action, acting as a microtubule-targeted agent. It binds to tubulin, a protein responsible for forming microtubules in cells, disrupting the normal cell division process. By interfering with microtubule assembly and dynamics, maitansine inhibits cell division and can induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells.
Despite its promising anti-cancer properties, maitansine is also known for its high toxicity, which limits its potential use in clinical applications. However, scientists have utilized maitansine as a template to develop targeted drug delivery systems, where the compound is conjugated with monoclonal antibodies. These antibody-drug conjugates specifically target cancer cells, improving selectivity and reducing toxicity to normal healthy cells.
Ongoing research on maitansine aims to further optimize its therapeutic properties to increase its efficacy and reduce its toxicity, with the ultimate goal of developing novel anticancer drugs that can effectively combat various types of cancer.
Common Misspellings for MAITANSINE
- naitansine
- kaitansine
- jaitansine
- mzitansine
- msitansine
- mwitansine
- mqitansine
- mautansine
- majtansine
- maktansine
- maotansine
- ma9tansine
- ma8tansine
- mairansine
- maifansine
- maigansine
- maiyansine
- mai6ansine
- mai5ansine
- maitznsine
Similar spelling words for MAITANSINE
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