Why are Active Metabolites Important in Cancer Therapy?
The significance of active metabolites in cancer therapy cannot be overstated. They can influence the therapeutic window of a drug, balancing its efficacy against its toxicity. Active metabolites can sometimes be more potent than the parent drug, thus requiring careful dose optimization. For instance, the active metabolite of irinotecan, SN-38, is up to 1000 times more potent in inhibiting topoisomerase I, an enzyme crucial for DNA replication in cancer cells.
