Pentostatin

Pentostatin (Deoxycoformycin) is an anticancer chemotherapeutic drug. It is classified as a purine antimetabolite. It mimics the nucleoside adenosine and thus inhibits the enzyme adenosine deaminase, interfering with the cell's ability to process DNA. Cancer cells generally divide rapidly compared with healthy cells and since DNA is highly involved in cell division (mitosis) drugs which target DNA-related processes are more toxic to cancer cells than healthy cells, and thus exert their effect.

Pentostatin is commonly used to treat hairy cell leukaemia. It is given by Intravenous therapy infusion once every two weeks for three to six months.

Though pentostatin is a purine antimetabolite, it may also be classified as a natural product anticancer chemotherapeutic, as it was originally isolated from the species of bacteria Streptomyces antibioticus.

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