Bromopyruvic acid
# Bromopyruvic acid

Bromopyruvic acid is the organic compound with the formula $BrCH_2COCO_2H.$ This colorless solid is the brominated derivative of pyruvic acid. It bears structural similarity to lactic acid and pyruvic acid. It has been investigated as a metabolic poison and an anticancer agent. Like other α-bromoketones, it is a strong alkylating agent.

## Research

The pyruvate transporter system can be used to deliver bromopyruvate inside trypanosomal cells. Once intracellular, the primary target of 3BP is glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, which is highly sensitive to inhibition by bromopyruvate. The pyruvate transporter system, which is known to be overexpressed in cancer cells, was later identified to be a monocarboxylate transporter called monocarboxylate transporter 1.

