Purine analogue

Purine analogue is a type of drug that mimics the structure of metabolic purines. They are used in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory disorders.

Overview

Purine analogues are a group of antimetabolites which mimic the structure of metabolic purines and are used in the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma. They interfere with DNA and RNA synthesis by inhibiting the enzyme needed for purine production. This inhibition prevents cell division and leads to cell death, particularly in rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells.

Types of Purine Analogues

There are several types of purine analogues that include mercaptopurine, fludarabine, cladribine, pentostatin, and nelarabine. Each of these drugs has a slightly different effect on the cell cycle and is used to treat different types of cancers.

Mercaptopurine

Mercaptopurine is a purine analogue that interferes with nucleic acid synthesis and is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Fludarabine

Fludarabine is a purine analogue that is used in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It works by interfering with DNA synthesis.

Cladribine

Cladribine is a purine analogue used to treat hairy cell leukemia by interfering with DNA synthesis.

Pentostatin

Pentostatin is a purine analogue that inhibits an enzyme called adenosine deaminase, which is important in DNA synthesis and repair. It is used to treat hairy cell leukemia.

Nelarabine

Nelarabine is a purine analogue used in the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Side Effects

Like all chemotherapy drugs, purine analogues can have side effects. These can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and myelosuppression where the bone marrow's ability to produce blood cells is decreased.

See Also

• Antimetabolite
• Chemotherapy
• Leukemia
• Lymphoma

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  Purine_analogue
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  Mercaptopurine
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  Tioguanine
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  Fludarabine phosphate