Description
Azathioprineisapurineanalogthatactsasaprodrugofmercaptopurine.Azathioprineexhibitsanticancerchemotherapeutic,immunosuppressive,andantiviralactivities.Azathioprineinhibitsamidophosphoribosyltransferase,inhibitingtheproductionofadenineandguaninepurinesandpreventingDNAsynthesis.Azathioprineisclinicallyusedtosuppresstheimmuneresponseinorgantransplantsubjectsandiscurrentlyinclinicaltrialsexploringitschemotherapeuticbenefit.Azathioprinesuppressesexperimentalautoimmunemyastheniagravisinanimalmodels.Invitro,azathioprinedownregulatesexpressionofANF-relatedapoptosis-inducingligandand,separately,inhibitsVavactivityonRacGTPases,preventingconjugationofantigen-presentingcells(APCs)andTcells.Azathioprinealsoexhibitsantiviralactivityagainstbovineviraldiarrheavirus.