The invention relates to pharmaceutical agents and methods for use in chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer. More specifically, the invention relates to the identification of cancer cells which cannot metabolize methylthioadenosine phosphorylase to adenine for the salvage synthesis of adenine nucleotides, and the use of L-alanosine to inhibit de novo adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) synthesis in such cancer cells.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds