Cytarabine

A nucleoside analog that interferes with DNA synthesis and transcription, particularly in tumor cells.1,2 It Cellular enzymes convert it to its nucleotide form, Ara-CTP, which disrupts DNA and RNA synthesis when polymerases attempt to incorporate it.3,4 For the same reasons, it is also employed as an antiviral.5 It inhibits proliferation of a variety of leukemic cell lines (IC50s 16-72 nM), but is used primarily against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) .6,7