Platinum

Definition

Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. In biology, platinum compounds are used as chemotherapy drugs to treat certain types of cancer.

Related terms

Chemotherapy: Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

DNA Damage Response (DDR): A network of cellular pathways that detect, signal and repair DNA lesions caused by damage such as that inflicted by chemotherapy drugs.

Cancer Cells:

Cells that grow out of control which can form a tumor or damage the body in other ways.