The Sound of Evolution
Idarubicin
Mechanism of action:
Idarubicin is an anthracycline antineoplastic antibiotic. Idarubicin intercalates between DNA base pairs, causing distortion of the double-stranded DNA structure and interfering with the normal function of DNA and RNA polymerases, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and transcription. Idarubicin can also stabilize the DNA-topoisomerase II cleavage complex, preventing the re-ligation of broken DNA strands and causing the accumulation of double-strand DNA breaks, which ultimately induces apoptosis.
Reference(s):
1. Zahraei Z et al. (2007). A comparison of the effect of anticancer drugs, idarubicin and adriamycin, on soluble chromatin. Eur J Pharmacol.
2. Hollingshead LM et al. (1991). Idarubicin: a review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic potential in the chemotherapy of cancer. Drugs.
3. Bigioni M et al. (1994). Base mutation analysis of topoisomerase II–idarubicin–DNA ternary complex formation: evidence for enzyme subunit cooperativity in DNA cleavage. Nucleic Acids Res.