Arsenic in leukemia: A RSKy business

摘要

It has been known for many years that arsenic trioxide (As_2O_3; ATO) is an effective therapy for acute promy-elocytic leukemia but has little activity against other forms of the disease. ATO has diverse modes of action, but is well known to generate high levels of reactive oxygen species in cells which are believed to be causal in many of its biologic actions. ROS can both activate and suppress signaling through multiple intra-cellular pathways based on the amount and duration of ROS production.