Broad cellular macromolecules

Broad cellular macromolecules is a collective term used in pharmacology to describe the non-specific targets of highly reactive agents, such as alkylating antineoplastic drugs and certain chemical sterilants. These agents do not bind to a single specific receptor or enzyme but instead form covalent bonds with various nucleophilic moieties found across DNA, RNA, and proteins throughout the cell (DrugBank Online, 2024). By chemically modifying these essential components, the drugs disrupt DNA replication, transcription, and protein function, which ultimately triggers cell cycle arrest or apoptosis (National Cancer Institute, 2023). While this broad reactivity is effective in killing rapidly dividing cancer cells or microbes, it also leads to significant off-target effects and systemic toxicity in healthy tissues. Consequently, this term is often considered a placeholder in databases for drugs whose precise molecular stoichiometry is distributed across the entire cellular proteome and genome (PubChem, 2024).

Other names

Cellular macromoleculesBiological macromoleculesNucleic acids and proteinsIntracellular macromolecules

Non-specific covalent binding, alkylation, or cross-linking of DNA, RNA, and proteins, leading to structural damage and inhibition of cellular processes.