Arsenic trioxide is a chemotheraputic agent of idiopathic function used to treat leukemia that is unresponsive to first line agents. It is suspected that arsenic trisulfide induces cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Due to the toxic nature of arsenic, this drug carries significant health risks. The enzyme thioredoxin reductase has recently been identified as a target for arsenic trioxide. (en)
# Lu J, Chew EH, Holmgren A: Targeting thioredoxin reductase is a basis for cancer therapy by arsenic trioxide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Jul 24;104(30):12288-93. Epub 2007 Jul 18. "Pubmed":http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17640917 (en)
For induction of remission and consolidation in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and whose APL is characterized by the presence of the t(15;17) translocation or PML/RAR-alpha gene expression (en)
The mechanism of action of Arsenic Trioxide is not completely understood. Arsenic trioxide causes morphological changes and DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis in NB4 human promyelocytic leukemia cells <i>in vitro</i>. Arsenic trioxide also causes damage or degradation of the fusion protein PML/RAR-alpha. It is suspected that arsenic trioxide induces cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. (en)