What is target and non-target organ toxicity?

Toxic substances are those which have the ability to cause
damage to body organs. Treatment of several ailments requires the administration of
toxic substance that damage a part of some organs, particular kinds of cells, etc. If an
ailment is caused due to hyperactivity in an organ it can be cured by causing a mild
damage to the organ to restore normal activity.

In such
treatments the organs that are being targeted to cure the ailment are called target
organs. For example to treat cancer, the organs affected by the cancer would be the
target organs. The aim is to damage the portions of the organs which are affected by
cancer.

When toxins are administered to destroy specific
organs, their action is usually not limited to those organs and instead they also damage
other organs which are healthy. This is known as non-target organ toxicity. For example
several anti-cancer medication damage organs that produce blood cells and
hair.

Whenever research to find a cure for new illnesses is
being done, the objective is always to increase target organ toxicity while reducing
non-target organ toxicity as much as possible.