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The Sound of Evolution
Pegaspargase
Mechanism of action:
Pegaspargase is a PEGylated L-asparaginase. Pegaspargase breaks down L-asparagine into L-aspartic acid and ammonia, causing a marked reduction in plasma L-asparagine levels. Leukemic lymphoblasts usually lack asparagine synthetase and are therefore highly dependent on exogenous asparagine. When plasma L-asparagine is depleted, leukemic lymphoblasts are unable to synthesize proteins.
Reference(s):
1. Graham ML et al. (2003). Pegaspargase: a review of clinical studies. Adv Drug Deliv Rev.
2. Zeidan A et al. (2009). Pegasparaginase: where do we stand? Expert Opin Biol Ther.
3. Heo YA et al. (2019). Pegaspargase: A Review in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Drugs.
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