Aclarubicin Explained

Aclarubicin (INN) or aclacinomycin A is an anthracycline drug^[1] that is used in the treatment of cancer in China. It was previously approved for use in Europe but was discontinued in 2004 due to being rarely prescribed and unprofitable.

However, it has subsequently been reevaluated^[2] due to possible advantages over other chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of certain cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia.^{[3] [4]}

Soil bacteria Streptomyces galilaeus can produce aclarubicin.

It can induce histone eviction from chromatin upon intercalation.^{[5] [6]}

Notes and References

1. Jensen PB, Jensen PS, Demant EJ, Friche E, Sørensen BS, Sehested M, Wassermann K, Vindeløv L, Westergaard O, Hansen HH . Antagonistic effect of aclarubicin on daunorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in human small cell lung cancer cells: relationship to DNA integrity and topoisomerase II . Cancer Research . 51 . 19 . 5093–5099 . October 1991 . 1655244 .
2. Web site: Amsen E . One man’s mission to revive a forgotten, life-saving cancer drug . The Guardian . 27 July 2024.
3. Wei G, Ni W, Chiao JW, Cai Z, Huang H, Liu D . A meta-analysis of CAG (cytarabine, aclarubicin, G-CSF) regimen for the treatment of 1029 patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome . Journal of Hematology & Oncology . 4 . 46 . November 2011 . 22082134 . 10.1186/1756-8722-4-46 . free . 3230125 .
4. Murzyn A, Orzeł J, Obajtek N, Mróz A, Miodowska D, Bojdo P, Gąsiorkiewicz B, Koczurkiewicz-Adamczyk P, Piska K, Pękala E . Aclarubicin: contemporary insights into its mechanism of action, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and clinical standing . Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology . July 2024 . 38965080 . 10.1007/s00280-024-04693-1 . free .
5. Pang B, Qiao X, Janssen L, Velds A, Groothuis T, Kerkhoven R, Nieuwland M, Ovaa H, Rottenberg S, van Tellingen O, Janssen J, Huijgens P, Zwart W, Neefjes J . Drug-induced histone eviction from open chromatin contributes to the chemotherapeutic effects of doxorubicin . Nature Communications . 4 . 1908 . 2013 . 23715267 . 3674280 . 10.1038/ncomms2921 . 2013NatCo...4.1908P .
6. Pang B, de Jong J, Qiao X, Wessels LF, Neefjes J . Chemical profiling of the genome with anti-cancer drugs defines target specificities . Nature Chemical Biology . 11 . 7 . 472–480 . July 2015 . 25961671 . 10.1038/nchembio.1811 .