6-Aminonicotinamide

6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN) is inhibitor of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), which catalyzes the conversion of G-6-P to 6-phosphogluconolactone, the first step of the pentose phosphate pathway. 6-AN has been widely used as a chemical tool in various experimental systems to study the biological consequences of inhibiting pentose phosphate pathway. Due to the essential roles of this pathway in generating reducing power (NADPH) and important metabolic intermediates (pentose-5-phosphate) for synthesis of macromolecules, it is not surprising that 6-AN exhibits anticancer activity in vitro, causes oxidative stress, and sensitizes cells to anticancer agents and radiation.