A negatively charged ion
A
branch of medical research investigating compounds that will block the
formation of new blood vessels in tumors. (Differs from VTA, in that VTA
target existing vasculature.)
Antibody
Protein formed by the body to help defend
against infection and disease. Also, a
modified protein molecule present in the blood serum or plasma (and other body
fluids), whose activity is associated chiefly with gamma globulin.
Produced by the immune system in response to exposure to a foreign substance,
it is the body's protective mechanism against infection and disease. An
antibody is characterized by a structure
complementary
to the foreign substance (the antigen that provokes its formation) and is thus
capable of binding specifically to the foreign substance to neutralize it.
Any
of various foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, endotoxins,
exotoxins, foreign proteins, pollen, and vaccines, whose entry into an
organism induces an immune response (antibody production, lymphokine
production, or both) directed specifically against that molecule.
B-cells
Any of the lymphocytes that mature in the bone
marrow and, when stimulated by a particular antigen, differentiate into plasma
cells. Also called B lymphocyte.
The
clear yellowish fluid obtained upon separating whole blood into its solid and
liquid components after it has been allowed to clot. Also Blood serum from the
tissues of immunized animals, containing antibodies and used to transfer
immunity to another individual.
Chemokines are proteins that act as chemical messengers between cells of the immune system.
Chemotherapy refers to the treatment
of disease by means of chemical substances or drugs that are used to kill
microorganisms and cancer cells. The Agent is the specific drug used.
Chimeric
Type of antibody which is partially human
and partially mouse.
Cisplatin:
Platinum-based
chemotherapy agent
Coaguligand:
Collateral
Targeting
The
therapeutic strategy of targeting structures and cell types other than cancer
cells common to all solid tumors, as a means to attack a solid tumor
A complex of nucleic acids and proteins, primarily
histones, in the cell nucleus that stains readily with basic dyes and condenses
to form chromosomes during cell division.
Cytostatic
Agents
Therapeutics
which inhibit cell division and growth
Cytotoxic
Agents
Therapeutics that act by killing a target
A
small protein released by cells that has a specific effect on the interactions between
cells, on communications between cells or on the behavior of cells. The cytokines
includes the interleukins, lymphokines and cell signal molecules,
such as tumor necrosis factor and the interferons, which trigger
inflammation and respond to infections.
Endothelial
Cells
A layer of flat cells that line blood
vessels
Endotoxin
A toxin produced by certain bacteria and released upon destruction of the
bacterial cell
A part of an antigen to
which an antibody binds. Also called the antigenic determinant.
Pertaining to a single-celled or multicellular
organism whose cells contain a distinct membrane-bound nucleus.
Exotoxin
A poisonous substance secreted by a microorganism and released into the medium
in which it grows.
FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the
government agency responsible for regulating the food and drug industries,
including the commercial approval of pharmaceuticals in the United States
A
protein fraction of blood serum containing many antibodies that protect against
bacterial and viral infectious diseases or a solution of gamma globulin
prepared from human blood and administered for passive immunization against
measles, German measles, hepatitis A, and other infections.
Glioma
A tumor
derived from cells that form the glial cells of the brain
Growth
Factors
Factors involved in the increase in size of
a living being or any of its parts
HAMA
Human-anti-mouse
antibody: A common outcome of treating patients with antibodies containing
mouse sequences in which the patient's immune system produces antibodies which
interact with the antibody mouse sequences.
Histones
Protein found in the nuclei of all eukaryotic cells
where they are complexed to DNA in chromatin and chromosomes.
Homeostasis
The state of balance in the body with
respect to various functions and to chemical compositions of the fluids and
tissues
Humoral
Relating
to bodily fluids, especially blood serum.
Hybridoma
A
cell that is produced in the laboratory from the fusion of an antibody-producing
lymphocyte and a non-antibody-producing cancer cell, usually a myeloma
or lymphoma. It proliferates and produces a continuous supply of a
specific monoclonal
antibody.
IND
Investigational
New Drug Application; the application submitted to the FDA requesting
permission to begin human clinical trials
Infarction
The formation of an area of tissue which
undergoes death due to an obstruction of blood flow
A naturally produced chemical released by the body
in response to viral infections. Interferon can be artificially produced and
used as a form of immunotherapy.
A naturally produced chemical released by the body.
Leukocytes
White blood
cells
An ion, a molecule, or a
molecular group that binds to another chemical entity to form a larger complex.
Any of a group of organic compounds, including the
fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides, that, (together with
carbohydrates and proteins) constitute the principal structural material of
living cells.
LYM-1 (OncolymŽ)
A
radiolabeled antibody designed to treat patients afflicted with intermediate-
and high-grade non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma.
Lymphocyte
Any of the nearly colorless cells found in the blood, lymph, and lymphoid
tissues, constituting approximately 25 percent of white blood cells and
including B cells, which function in humoral immunity, and T cells,
which function in cellular immunity.
Lymphokine
(see also Cytokine)
Any of various substances released by T-cells that have been activated by antigens.
They function in the immune response through a variety of actions, including
stimulating the production of nonsensitized lymphocytes and activating macrophages.
Lymphoma
Cancer of the lymphatic system
Metalloproteases
Protein
enzymes with a tightly bound metal ion or ions
Microphage
A small phagocyte.
Monoclonal
Antibody (Mab or MoAb)
Antibodies
derived from a single source or clone of cells that recognize only one type of antigen.
They are produced from hybridomas formed by the hybridization of two
cells: a single antibody-producing cell and a cell that can be grown
indefinitely in culture
A large, circulating, phagocytic white blood cell,
having a single well-defined nucleus and very fine granulation in the
cytoplasm. Monocytes constitute from 3 to 8 percent of the white blood cells in
humans.
Murine
Derived from
a mouse
A malignant tumor of the bone marrow associated
with the production of abnormal proteins.
NDA
New Drug
Application; Once clinical trials have concluded and the data analyzed, the NDA
is filed to request marketing approval from FDA
Necrosis
The death
and degradation of cells within a tissue
Necrotic
Tissue
Tissue deposited
following death within a tumor or cells within a tissue or organ
Granular leukocytes having a nucleus with three to
five lobes connected by slender threads of chromatin, and cytoplasm containing
fine inconspicuous granules
Non-Hodgkin's
Lymphoma
Malignant growth of cells in the lymph
system
Oncology
The study and treatment of cancer
Orphan
Drug Status (Click Here
for FDA Site)
In
1983, the U.S. government passed the Orphan Drug Act to provide pharmaceutical
firms monetary incentives, such as Federal grants and tax credits, to develop
treatments for rare diseases. Under this Act, diseases that affect less than
200,000 individuals in the U. S. are considered "rare." Although
obtaining orphan drug designation does not change the duration of regulatory
review, a company will enjoy monopoly status for seven years if it is the first
company to receive FDA approval for an effective treatment of a rare disease.
Once the first orphan drug for treating a certain disease gains FDA approval,
no approval of the same drug for the same indication from another company will
be granted for seven years as long as adequate supply of the drug is
maintained.
Phagocyte
A
cell, such as a white blood cell, that engulfs and absorbs waste material,
harmful microorganisms, or other foreign bodies in the bloodstream and tissues.
The parent structure for phosphatidyl
phospholipids, present in low concentrations in membranes.
The radical of a phosphatidic acid.
The major structural lipid of most cellular
membranes.
An atom or an electrically neutral group that has
one or more unpaired electrons.
Radioimmunotherapy
The therapeutic
strategy of targeting structures and cell types other than cancer cells common
to all solid tumors, as a means to attack a solid tumor
Radiolabeling
Process of attaching a radioactive isotope
SDA
Chinese counterpart to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.
An amino acid, CH2OHCH(NH2)COOH,
that is a common constituent of many proteins
Any of the lymphocytes that mature in the thymus
and have the ability to recognize specific peptide antigens through the receptors
on their cell surface. Also called T lymphocyte.
Therapeutic Index
A
method of assessing the safety of a drug. It is the ratio of the median
lethal dose to the median effective dose, although originally, it
was defined as the ratio of the maximum tolerated dose of a drug to the minimum
curative dose; this change was made to account for the variability of
individual response.
Thrombosis
Clotting
within a blood vessel which may cause infarction of tissues supplied by the
vessel
Tumor
An abnormal
overgrowth of cells
Tumor
Necrosis Therapy (TNT)
Therapeutic
agents that target dead and dying cells found primarily at the core of the
tumor
Tumor
Pathogenesis
Morphological and physiological changes associated with tumor growth
Vascular
Targeting Agents (VTAs)
Multifunctional
agents that home to the existing capillaries and vessels of solid tumors
Vasculature
Tube-like
structures that deliver blood to tissues
Vasopermeation
Enhancement Agents (VEAs)
A new generation
of drugs which increase the uptake of therapeutic agents to solid tumors
Xenographic
Having been derived from or originating in a member
of another species.
Academic Press Dictionary of Science
and Technology