Bristol myers squibb co pharmaceutical research institute • Teniposide is used for the treatment of refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Teniposide is a cytotoxic drug used as an adjunct for chemotherapy induction in the treatment of refractory childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The mechanism of action appears to be related to the inhibition of type II topoisomerase activity since teniposide does not intercalate into DNA or bind strongly to DNA. Teniposide binds to and inhibits DNA topoisomerase II. The cytotoxic effects of teniposide are related to the relative number of double-stranded DNA breaks produced in cells, which are a reflection of the stabilization of a topoisomerase II-DNA intermediate.
