FRI-10 MITOMYCIN-C: HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF THE DISCOVERY OF MOST COMMONLY USED CHEMOTHERAPY AGENT IN UROLOGY

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology Forum I1 Apr 2015FRI-10 MITOMYCIN-C: HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF THE DISCOVERY OF MOST COMMONLY USED CHEMOTHERAPY AGENT IN UROLOGY Hemant Nemade, Hussein Tukmatchy, and Peter Thompson Hemant NemadeHemant Nemade More articles by this author , Hussein TukmatchyHussein Tukmatchy More articles by this author , and Peter ThompsonPeter Thompson More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.488AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Although urology is primarily a surgical speciality, evolution of pharmacotherapy over time has revolutionised the treatment of certain disorders. Endoscopic resection was the only treatment that was available for superficial bladder tumours, till the development of intravesical instillation of chemotherapeutic agents. The discovery and introduction of mitomycin C into urological field is researched in this presentation. METHODS Material per taining to early treatment of bladder cancer was reviewed. Correspondences with Japanese companies where the discovery was made also contributed immensely to the research. RESULTS The mitomycins are a family of aziridine-containing products isolated from Streptomyces species. After discovery of penicillin by Fleming, there was an interest in isolating substances from microorganisms that were capable of killing other bacteria. Japan, after its defeat in the WWII, was keen to be a frontrunner in development of newer antibiotics. Dr. Kitasato founder of Kitasato Institute laid the foundation of early development of microbiology and pharmacology. Dr Toju Hata (1908-2004), after serving in the army during the War, joined Kitasato Institute to pursue his interest in microbiology. His hard work paid results as in 1953, he discovered the antibiotic Leucomycin. In 1956, Hata isolated mitomycin-A & mitomycin-B from Steptomyces caespitosus that had antibiotic & antitumour activities. Dr Hata along with Dr Shigetoshi Wakagi from Kyowa Hakko Kogyo company later reported the isolation of mitomycin-C from the same fermentation broth at a higher pH and that this compound had much higher antitumour activity. After the success of intravesical therapy using Thiotepa in 1961 by Jones and Swinney, Dr Shida and his colleagues reported in a Japanese journal the use of mitomycin C. Because of lesser side-effects and its efficacy, mitomycin-C became the most popular agent for intravesical therapy for superficial bladder cancer. CONCLUSIONS The discovery of mitomycin C is interesting as it was being isolated as an antibiotic but found to have antineoplastic properties. Its success in reducing the recurrence had made it the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agent in urology. © 2015 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 193Issue 4SApril 2015Page: e585 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2015 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Hemant Nemade More articles by this author Hussein Tukmatchy More articles by this author Peter Thompson More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...