How acute promyelocytic leukaemia revived arsenic

Nat Rev Cancer. 2002 Sep;2(9):705-13. doi: 10.1038/nrc887.

Abstract

Despite its many therapeutic qualities, arsenic trioxide has been more commonly remembered as Madame Bovary's poison than as an anticancer drug. The ability of arsenic trioxide to treat acute promyelocytic leukaemia has radically changed this view, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of this malignancy and raising hopes that arsenicals might be useful in treating other cancers.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arsenic Trioxide
  • Arsenicals / history
  • Arsenicals / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • China
  • Europe
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • History, 15th Century
  • History, 16th Century
  • History, 18th Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 21st Century
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / genetics
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / pathology
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Nuclear Proteins*
  • Oxides / history
  • Oxides / therapeutic use*
  • Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein
  • Receptors, Retinoic Acid / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Substances

  • Arsenicals
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Oxides
  • Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein
  • Receptors, Retinoic Acid
  • Transcription Factors
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • PML protein, human
  • Arsenic Trioxide