pentostatin

Description: Pentostatin (CI-825; Deoxycoformycin), a purine analog and an anticancer of the antimetabolite class, is an irreversible inhibitor of adenosine deaminase with Ki of 2.5 pM. Pentostatin acts by mimicking the nucleoside adenosine and thus inhibits the enzyme adenosine deaminase, interfering with the cell's ability to process DNA. Cancer cells generally divide more often than healthy cells; DNA is highly involved in cell division (mitosis) and drugs which target DNA-related processes are therefore more toxic to cancer cells than healthy cells. Pentostatin is used to treat hairy cell leukemia. It is given by intravenous infusion once every two weeks for three to six months. Additionally, pentostatin has been used to treat steroid-refractory acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease. Pentostatin is also used in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who have relapsed.

References: Bone Marrow Transplant. 2014 Sep; 49(9):1198-204.