The Purine analog fludarabine acts as a cytosolic 5′-nucleotidase II inhibitor (original) (raw)

Cytotoxic nucleoside analogs play a crucial role in treating cancers, and their efficacy depends on the balance between their phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. This study identifies fludarabine as a specific inhibitor of cytosolic 5′-nucleotidase II (cN-II), an enzyme linked to drug resistance in hematologic malignancies. The findings demonstrate that fludarabine enhances the effectiveness of 6-mercaptopurine while exhibiting antagonistic effects when cN-II expression is reduced, suggesting potential therapeutic strategies involving cN-II inhibition.