Artemisinins Synergize With Bcl2 Inhibitors By Reducing Mcl1 Protein Levels In Leukemia Cells

Artemisinins have broad antineoplastic activity in vitro , are well tolerated and inexpensive, and can be parenterally or orally administered in humans. Both artesunate (AS; the current World Health Organization-recommended drug for severe malaria) and artemisinin-derived trioxane diphenylphosphate dimer 838 (ART838; a more potent derivative) substantially inhibited acute leukemia growth in vivo and in vitro , at doses where normal CD34+ hematopoietic stem-progenitor cell clonogenicity was essentially unaffected (Fox et al, Oncotarget 2015, PMID: 26771236).