Romidepsin (Istodax, NSC 630176, FR901228, FK228, depsipeptide): a natural product recently approved for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2011 Aug;64(8):525-31. doi: 10.1038/ja.2011.35. Epub 2011 May 18.

Abstract

Romidepsin (Istodax), a selective inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs), was approved for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in November 2009 by the US Food and Drug Administration. This unique natural product was discovered from cultures of Chromobacterium violaceum, a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from a Japanese soil sample. This bicyclic compound acts as a prodrug, its disulfide bridge being reduced by glutathione on uptake into the cell, allowing the free thiol groups to interact with Zn ions in the active site of class I and II HDAC enzymes. Due to the synthetic complexity of the compound, as well as the low yield from the producing organism, analogs are sought to create synthetically accessible alternatives. As a T-cell lymphoma drug, romidepsin offers a valuable new treatment for diseases with few effective therapies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Biological Products / chemistry
  • Biological Products / isolation & purification
  • Biological Products / pharmacology
  • Biological Products / therapeutic use*
  • Chromobacterium / chemistry
  • Chromobacterium / isolation & purification
  • Chromobacterium / metabolism
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Depsipeptides / chemistry
  • Depsipeptides / isolation & purification
  • Depsipeptides / pharmacology
  • Depsipeptides / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Approval
  • Histone Deacetylases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / drug therapy*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Soil Microbiology
  • Vereinigte Staaten
  • United States Food and Drug Administration

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biological Products
  • Depsipeptides
  • romidepsin
  • Histone Deacetylases