The College of Pharmacy at the University of Basrah organizes A panel discussion entitled (Dihydrofolate Reductase as Antitumor Molecular Target), with the participation of researchers and specialists. The seminar included a lecture delivered by Prof. Dr. Hussein Ibrahim Al-Sabbagh (Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Mansoura University / Arab Republic of Egypt. Where Dr. Hussein began his lecture with an introduction to the types of tumors and divided them into two main types, which are benign and malignant. The first type is distinguished by its inability to spread in the body, but in the second type, cancer cells divide, spread and multiply, which is the most dangerous type. Then he touched on the role of an enzyme Dihydrofolate Reductase (DHFR) In cancerous tumors, as it plays an important role in reducing folic acid t difolate Dihydrofolate (DHF) then toTrihydrifolate(THF) Inhibition of the DHFR enzyme will lead to
Thymine-less Deth tumor cell Stopping or inhibiting cancer cells from dividing and multiplying, which is the main purpose of developing cancer drugs. Al-Sabbagh reviewed a group of drugs that act as DHFR inhibitors The classic example is Methotrexate(MTX) It is similar to folic acid Trimethoprim (TMP), trimetrexate (TMQ), piritrexim (PTX)