Anticancer drug development: Enhancing the anticancer activity of mitoxantrone

如果我们能够开发出更有活性的米托蒽醌衍生物，或开发出抑制米托蒽醌诱导的DNA损伤修复的程序，许多癌症患者可能会从这项工作中受益。这可能导致具有改善的反应、减少的药物剂量和/或减少的副作用的疗法。由于这项工作可能会获得一项或多项专利，并可能与澳大利亚（和海外）制药公司进行商业化，因此对澳大利亚有潜在的商业利益。这项工作的“发现”方面也可能确定其他细胞对米托蒽醌的反应（即重新表达的特定基因），这也可能揭示进一步增强这种药物活性的新靶点。

Many cancer sufferers may benefit from this work if we are able to develop more active derivatives of mitoxantrone, or develop procedures to inhibit the repair of DNA lesions induced by mitoxantrone. This may result in therapies with improved response, reduced drug dosage and/or reduced side-effects. Because this work may result in one or more patents, and possibly commercialisation with Australian (and overseas) pharmaceutical companies, there are potential commercial benefits to Australia. The "discovery" aspect of this work may also identify other cellular responses to mitoxantrone (ie specific genes which are re-expressed) and this may also reveal new targets to further enhance the activity of this drug.