Pathogens and malignant cells

Pathogens and malignant cells represent broad categories of biological entities that are the primary focus of anti-infective and anti-cancer therapies. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that cause infectious diseases by invading host tissues and disrupting normal physiological processes (NIH, 2023). Malignant cells are host cells that have undergone genetic mutations leading to uncontrolled growth, evasion of apoptosis, and the ability to metastasize (National Cancer Institute, 2024). While these entities are the ultimate targets of medical intervention, they are not specific molecular targets themselves; rather, they contain numerous specific proteins, nucleic acids, and pathways that drugs are designed to inhibit or modulate (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2006). Therapeutic strategies often aim to exploit biochemical differences between these harmful entities and healthy host cells to achieve selective toxicity and minimize side effects.

Other names

Infectious agentsCancer cellsTumor cellsMicroorganismsNeoplastic cells

Not applicable as a single molecular target; therapeutic agents act on specific molecular components (e.g., enzymes, receptors, nucleic acids) within these entities to exert therapeutic effects.