Selective chemotherapy of noncycling cells in an in vitro tumor model.

Abstract

Summary The electron-affinic drug, metronidazole, preferentially killed noncycling cells in multicellular spheroids as determined using histology-autoradiography and colony-formation methods. This and other similar chemicals may be cytotoxic to the noncycling cells, due to their specific metabolic state and local environmental conditions, and should be useful in combination with cell cycle-specific agents in chemotherapy.