Pegaspargase

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ONC-006446",
  "term": "Pegaspargase",
  "field": "Oncology and biomedicine",
  "definitions": [
    "A drug used with other drugs to treat adults and children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is used in patients whose cancer has not already been treated or who cannot be treated with asparaginase. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Pegaspargase is made up of the enzyme L-asparaginase that is linked to a substance called PEG, which makes the drug stay in the body longer. L-asparaginase comes from the bacterium E. coli and breaks down the amino acid asparagine. This may stop the growth of cancer cells that need asparagine to grow. Pegaspargase is a type of protein synthesis inhibitor. Also called Oncaspar and PEG-asparaginase.",
    "A complex of polyethylene glycol conjugated with L-asparaginase. Asparaginase hydrolyzes L-asparagine to L-aspartic acid and ammonia, thereby depleting these cells of asparagine and blocking protein synthesis and tumor cell proliferation, especially in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. The agent also induces apoptosis in tumor cells. Pegylation decreases the enzyme's antigenicity. Asparagine is critical to protein synthesis in leukemic cells, which cannot synthesize this amino acid due to the absence of the enzyme asparagine synthase."
  ],
  "abbreviation": "PEG-ASP",
  "synonyms": [
    "Oncaspar",
    "PEG-asparaginase",
    "PEG-L-asparaginase",
    "L-asparaginase with polyethylene glycol",
    "PEG-L-asparaginase(K-H)",
    "polyethylene glycol-L-asparaginase"
  ],
  "references": [
    "NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms",
    "National Cancer Institute Thesaurus"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/oncology/pegaspargase/"
}