[Campbell Biology P.299] Herceptin and tamoxifen are mentioned as examples of drugs used in ... | Practice Question

Herceptin and tamoxifen are mentioned as examples of drugs used in personalized cancer treatment. Based on the text, what is their general mechanism of action?

  • A: They act as transcription factors that activate genes promoting cell death.
  • B: They directly inhibit DNA replication enzymes, leading to cell cycle arrest.
  • C: They block the function of specific cell surface or intracellular receptors involved in triggering cell division.
  • D: They increase the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

Explanation

The text explicitly states that Herceptin blocks the function of HER2 a cell-surface receptor and tamoxifen blocks ERs estrogen receptors, which are intracellular receptors . Both HER2 and ERs are described as being able to 'trigger cell division', so blocking their function would inhibit this process.