| abstract |
A method of treating drug-induced peripheral neuropathy comprises administering to a patient with drug-induced peripheral neuropathy an effective quantity of a purine derivative or analogue, a tetrahydroindolone derivative or analogue, or a pyrimidine derivative or analogue. If the compound is a purine derivative, the purine moiety can be guanine or hypoxanthine. The compound can induce peripheral nerve sprouting through the action of a neurotrophic factor such as nerve growth factor (NGF) without the occurrence of hyperalgesia. The peripheral nerve sprouting can be nociceptive nerve sprouting. The drug-induced peripheral neuropathy can be drug-induced peripheral neuropathy associated with the administration of oncolytic drugs, such as a vinca alkaloid, cisplatin, paclitaxel, suramin, altretamine, carboplatin, chlorambucil, cytarabine, dacarbazine, docetaxel, etoposide, fludarabine, ifosfamide with mesna, tamoxifen, teniposide, or thioguanine. Methods according to the present invention are particularly useful in treating peripheral neuropathy associated with the administration of vincristine, paclitaxel, or cisplatin. |