Drug-induced neuropathies.

Much progress has been made over the past 20 years in the description of the neurotoxic processes involved in drug-induced neuropathies. Essentially all of the clinical neuropathic syndromes resulting from these drugs have been extensively described. Current research centres not only on the delineation of the molecular mechanisms of these phenomena, but also on the possible therapeutic prevention of these neuropathies using novel neuroprotective agents. As more neurotoxic drugs (especially in chemotherapy) are developed, and with the future possibility of combination chemotherapy regimens with two or more neurotoxic agents, continued investigation in this area will remain vitally important. In addition, findings from this research may be applicable to other peripheral neurodegenerative processes that are not drug-induced.