Health / Medical Topics |
Calaspargase Pegol
Definition 1
An intravenous formulation containing E.coli-derived L-asparaginase II conjugated with succinimidyl carbonate monomethoxypolyethylene glycol (SC-PEG), with potential antineoplastic activity. L-asparaginase hydrolyzes L-asparagine to L-aspartic acid and ammonia, thereby depleting cells of asparagine; asparagine depletion blocks protein synthesis and tumor cell proliferation, especially in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and ultimately induces tumor cell death. Asparagine is critical to protein synthesis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells which, unlike normal cells, cannot synthesize this amino acid due to the absence of the enzyme asparagine synthase. Pegylation decreases enzyme antigenicity and increases its half life. SC is used as a PEG linker to facilitate attachment to asparaginase and enhances the stability of the formulation. (NCI Thesaurus)
Definition 2
A drug used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It is a form of the anticancer drug PEG-asparaginase that stays in the body longer. EZN-2285 is an enzyme that breaks down the amino acid asparagine and may block the growth of tumor cells that need asparagine to grow. It is a type of protein synthesis inhibitor. (NCI Dictionary)