Use of prodrugs in cancer therapy - A Review

A prodrug is a medicine that is primarily used after administration, that is metabolized into a pharmacologically active drug. A prodrug is generally a precursor form of a drug. A prodrug is used to selectively improve the drug that directly interacts with cells used in any form of treatment like chemotherapy. The drug, when taken separately, does not have much effect, whereas, a drug taken in after the administration of prodrug acts very effectively. Prodrugs are often used in the pharmaceutical field. Prodrug alters certain properties of prodrugs, such as physicochemical properties to enhance their efficacy and reduce their toxicity. The cancer cells are first injected with a gene that expresses an enzyme that has the ability to convert a non-toxic prodrug into its active cytotoxic form. Various applications of prodrugs include improving drug penetration through biological membranes, increasing site-specificity of a drug; it mainly improves patient's acceptance. Prodrugs stabilize the active drug and prevent drug metabolism. This review was written with an aim to highlight the important aspects of prodrugs and its use in cancer therapy.