Asparaginase

Introduction: Asparaginase

Description of Asparaginase

Asparaginase: (1) An enzyme catalyzing the hydrolysis of l-asparagine to l-aspartate and ammonia. (2) The enzyme from Escherichia coli, used in the treatment of acute leukemia and other neoplastic diseases.
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Asparaginase: antineoplastic drug (trade name Elspar) sometimes used to treat lymphoblastic leukemia.
Source: WordNet 2.1

Asparaginase: An enzyme isolated from the bacterium Escherichia coli or the bacterium Erwinia carotovora. Asparagine is critical to protein synthesis in leukemic cells, which cannot synthesize this amino acid due to the absence of the enzyme asparagine synthase. Asparaginase hydrolyzes L-asparagine to L-aspartic acid and ammonia, thereby depleting leukemic cells of asparagine and blocking protein synthesis and tumor cell proliferation, especially in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. This agent also induces apoptosis in tumor cells. The E. carotovora-derived form of asparaginase is typically reserved for cases of hypersensitivity. (NCI04)
Source: Diseases Database

Asparaginase: EC 3.5.1.1.
Source: CRISP

Asparaginase: A hydrolase enzyme that converts L-asparagine and water to L-aspartate and NH3. EC 3.5.1.1.
Source: MeSH 2007

Asparaginase: Related Topics

These medical condition or symptom topics may be relevant to medical information for Asparaginase:

Drug name confusion

Because many drug names share similar spellings or sound almost identical when spoken, it is possible to mistake the name of a particular medication. Other drugs that are sometimes confused with Asparaginase include: