Brostallicin

**Semantic type:** Organic Chemical|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A synthetic, alpha-bromoacrylic, second-generation minor groove binder (MGB), related to distamycin A, with potential antineoplastic activity. Brostallicin binds to DNA minor groove DNA, after having formed a highly reactive glutathione (GSH)-brostallicin complex in the presence of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), which is overexpressed in cancer cells; DNA replication and cell division are inhibited, resulting in tumor cell death. Compared to typical MGBs, this agent appears to bind covalently to DNA in a different manner and its activity does not depend on a functional DNA mismatch repair (MMR) mechanism. Accordingly, brostallicin may be effective against MMR-defective tumors that are refractory to various anticancer agents.

**Synonyms:** - 4-(2-Bromoacrylamido)-N'''-(2-guanidinoethyl)-1,1',1',1'''-tetramethyl-N,4':N',4':N',4'''-quater(pyrrole-2-carboxamide) - BROSTALLICIN - PNU-166196