Bleomycins

Chemotherapeutic agents are grouped by cytotoxic mechanism. The alkylating agents, such as cyclophosphamide [50-18-0] and melphalan [148-82-3] interfere with normal cellular activity by alkylation deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Antimetabohtes, interfering with complex metaboHc pathways in the cell, include methotrexate [59-05-2] 5-fluorouracil [51-21-8] and cytosine arabinoside hydrochloride [69-74-9]. Antibiotics such as bleomycin [11056-06-7] and doxombicin [23214-92-8] h.a.ve been used, as have the plant alkaloids vincristine [57-22-7] and vinblastine [865-21-4]. 

Bleomycin and cyclosporine are the two economically most important streptomycete peptide antibiotics used as antitumor agents and immunomodulators, although dactinomycin is important medically for several tumors (see Chemotherapeutics, anticancer Immunotherapeutic agents). 

Fig. 13. Structure of the bleomycin-Fe(II)-02 complex showing the DNA binding region.

Bleomycin sulfate is used alone or in combination with other antineoplastic dmgs. Using this DNA-cleaving dmg, disease-free (possibly cured) survivors of some cancers have been seen, especially with the use of bleomycin in multidmg regimens. General reviews of bleomycin (234,242—245) and its mechanism of action (246—249) are available. 

The stmcture of bleomycin shown in Figure 13 was reported in 1978 (250) total synthesis was reported in 1982 (251—253). The commercial fermentation and purification of bleomycin has been described (244) as has its nonribosomal synthesis using a large multien2yme complex (254). 

Bleomycin sulfate USP, a white or yellowish powder, is very soluble in water and sparingly soluble in alcohol. It is 55—70% bleomycin A2 and 25—32% bleomycin based on total bleomycin base content as deterruined by hplc. This combination was found to be more effective than use of either bleomycin alone (234). 

Newer bleomycins such as peplomycin and especially liblomycin, are more resistant to bleomycin hydrolase. This results in less lung toxicity but more bone marrow toxicity, and allows for a different spectmm of antitumor action. Bleomycin is inactive orally it is given intravenously, intramuscularly, subcutaneously, or directiy into a cavity such as the pleural cavity. The majority of dmg is excreted unchanged in the urine. 

The phleomycin, bleomycin and related families are widespectrum antibiotics containing the pyrimidine (987) in addition, they have antineoplastic activity and bleomycin is already in clinical use for certain tumours. They were isolated about 1956 from Streptomyces verticillus, and in addition to the pyrimidine portion the molecules contain an amide part (R ) and a complicated part (R ) consisting of polypeptide, an imidazole, two sugars, a bithiazole and a polybasic side chain which can vary widely phleomycin and bleomycin differ by only one double bond in the bithiazole section (78MI21303). The activity of such antibiotics is increased by the addition of simple heterocycles (including inter alia pyrimidines and fused pyrimidines) and other amplifiers (82MI21300). 

Oligosaccharides also occur widely as components (via glycosidic bonds) of antibiotics derived from various sources. Figure 7.20 shows the structures of a few representative carbohydrate-containing antibiotics. Some of these antibiotics also show antitumor activity. One of the most important of this type is bleomycin A2, which is used clinically against certain tumors. 

Bleomycin A2 (an antitumor agent u.sed clinically again.st. specific tumors)... 

The irradiation a 1 1 Cu-peplomycin complex, an antibiotic of the bleomycin family (Fig. 15), leads to a product of an isomerization of a thiazole ring. In this case, the compound converted from a 2,4 -bithiazole to a 4,4 -bithiazole derivative. When a 5 1 Cu - peplomycin complex was used, the product was a 3-isothiazolyl-4-thiazole derivative (86JA7089 87JA938). 

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