Elesclomol

Elesclomol is an oxidative stress inducer that induces cancer cell apoptosis.
Elesclomol is a carbohydrazide obtained by formal condensation of the carboxy groups of malonic acid with the hydrino groups of two molar equivalents of N-methylbenzenecarbothiohydrazide It has a role as an antineoplastic agent and an apoptosis inducer. It is a carbohydrazide and a thiocarbonyl compound. It derives from a malonic acid.|Elesclomol is a novel, injectable, drug candidate that kills cancer cells by elevating oxidative stress levels beyond a breaking point, triggering programmed cell death. In preclinical models elesclomol showed potent killing of a broad range of cancer cell types at high doses, and an ability to strongly enhance the efficacy of certain chemotherapy agents, with minimal additional toxicity, at moderate doses. It is being developed by Synta Pharmaceuticals.|Elesclomol is a small-molecule bis(thio-hydrazide amide) with oxidative stress induction, pro-apoptotic, and potential antineoplastic activities. Elesclomol induces oxidative stress, creating high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide, in both cancer cells and normal cells. Because tumor cells have elevated levels of ROS compared to normal cells, the increase in oxidative stress beyond baseline levels elevates ROS beyond sustainable levels, exhausting tumor cell antioxidant capacity, which may result in the induction of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Normal cells are spared because the increase in the level of oxidative stress induced by this agent is below the threshold at which apoptosis is induced.