The tumour thiolome as a potential target for anticancer drug development - time for a re-valuation of this area of cancer research.

This review is concerned with the role of various thiol constituents of the eukaryote cellular thiolome, particularly the part they play in the metabolism of tumour cells. The thiolome can be divided into two sections of high and low molecular weight thiol moieties and these are discussed. The impact of the discovery of high concentrations of a new unknown low molecular weight thiol in a tumour thiolome is also discussed. Its presence may have important ramifications in the search for new and more effective chemotherapeutic drugs to treat metastatic tumour cell growths.