Bendamustine is a purine analog and DNA alkylating agent.
1 It inhibits growth of SKW-3, Reh, CML-T1, BV-173, and HL-60 leukemia cell lines (IC
50s = 27.0, 28.6, 15.6, 20.8, and 57.7 μM, respectively) but not MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines (IC
50s = >200 and >200 μM, respectively).
2 It kills B cell-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells derived from naïve and bendamustine-pretreated patients (LD
50s = 6.8-8.3 and 3.8-4.9 mg/ml, respectively).
3 Bendamustine (50 mg/kg) inhibits tumor growth by 9% and 96% alone and in combination with ofatumumab, respectively, in a JVM-3 CLL mouse xenograft model.
4 It activates the DNA-damage stress response, the base excision DNA repair pathway, and apoptosis, as well as inhibits mitotic checkpoints and induces mitotic catastrophe.
1 Formulations containing bendamustine have been used to treat CLL and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.