what is targeted chemotherapy

 

According to AI

There are about 3 billion pairs of nucleotides.  Most of the nucleotides are involved in turning a fertilized cell into a being.  2 percent of the nucleotides are genes and they direct the cells to make various proteins.   There are about 20,000 protein coding genes and each gene contains the instructions for making a single protein.  20 to 30 percent of the proteins the cell makes perform a function in the cell membrane.   

One type of membrane protein is called a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK).  it penetrates the membrane and sticks out inside and outside the cell.  When the outside of this protein is activated—a signal travels through the protein and the inside portion of the protein directs a cell to act a certain way. 

It, for example, can tell a cell to grow, divide, die etc.  the outside extension of each receptor has a pocket.  When the right molecule is inserted into the pocket the receptor won’t function. 

Tyrosine kinase receptors are sometimes used to stop a cancer from growing. 

Gleevec was the first receptor kinase blocker –but not the last.—there are currently over 100 blockers that the powers that be have approved—they are usable receptor kinases.  most do something to one or another cancer.  

According to AI There are 58 receptor tyrosine kinases in the human genome.  Scientists have divided them into 20 families and they have names like --ErbB family: Epidermal growth factor receptors and VEGF receptor family: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptors.  The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors is part of targeted chemotherapy. 

 

 

 

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