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Future Useful Drug in ALL

Arginine deiminase inhibits proliferation of human leukemia cells more potently than asparaginase by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis

Leukemia volume 14, pages 826–829 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

L-Asparaginase is used for the treatment of acute leukemias, but is sometimes ineffective or associated with severe side-effects. We report here that the enzyme arginine deiminase is approximately 100-fold more potent than L-asparaginase in inhibiting the proliferation of cultured human lymphatic leukemia cell lines while it appears to be less effective in leukemia cells of myeloid origin. The inhibition of cell proliferation involves cell growth arrest in the G1- and/or S-phase and eventually apoptotic cell death. Our results suggest the possibility of a future use of arginine deiminase for the therapy of leukemia.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Wilhelm-Sander Stifung. The authors thank Dr Haruo Takaku for technical advice, and Mrs Tamara Muedt and Anke Spies for excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Oncology and Endocrinology, Children's Hospital, Hufelandstr 55, Essen, 45122, Germany

    H Gong, W Havers & L Schweigerer

  2. Department of Radiation Biology, University of Essen, Hufelandstr 55, Essen, 45122, Germany

    F Zölzer

  3. Department of Microbiology, University of Essen, Hufelandstr 55, Essen, 45122, Germany

    G von Recklinghausen

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  1. H Gong
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  2. F Zölzer
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  3. G von Recklinghausen
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  4. W Havers
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  5. L Schweigerer
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Gong, H., Zölzer, F., von Recklinghausen, G. et al. Arginine deiminase inhibits proliferation of human leukemia cells more potently than asparaginase by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Leukemia 14, 826–829 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2401763

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