Description
Deferasirox is an iron chelator commonly used to treat iron-overload disease. Deferasirox also displays both neuroprotective and chemotherapeutic benefit as well. This compound exhibits neuroprotective activity in both in vitro and in vivo models of stroke/ischemia conditions. In vitro, deferasirox increases expression of metastasis suppressing genes, p21, caspase-3, and PARP and decreases levels of cyclin D1 and activity of NF-κB. The ability of deferasirox to inhibit iron uptake decreases tumor growth in animal models of cancer.
References
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Lui GY, Obeidy P, Ford SJ, et al. The iron chelator, deferasirox, as a novel strategy for cancer treatment: oral activity against human lung tumor xenografts and molecular mechanism of action. Mol Pharmacol. 2013 Jan;83(1):179-90. PMID: 23074173.
Zhao Y, Rempe DA. Prophylactic neuroprotection against stroke: low-dose, prolonged treatment with deferoxamine or deferasirox establishes prolonged neuroprotection independent of HIF-1 function. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2011 Jun;31(6):1412-23. PMID: 21245873.
Messa E, Carturan S, Maffè C, et al. Deferasirox is a powerful NF-kappaB inhibitor in myelodysplastic cells and in leukemia cell lines acting independently from cell iron deprivation by chelation and reactive oxygen species scavenging. Haematologica. 2010 Aug;95(8):1308-16. PMID: 20534700.
Lindsey WT, Olin BR. Deferasirox for transfusion-related iron overload: a clinical review. Clin Ther. 2007 Oct;29(10):2154-66. PMID: 18042472.
