Therapeutic Classification: Antineoplastic agents, Alkylating agents

Trabectedin is a tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid obtained from a Caribbean tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata.

Used for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma and relapsed ovarian cancer. It has a role as an antineoplastic agent, a marine metabolite, an anti-inflammatory agent and an angiogenesis modulating agent.

 

Mechanism of action:  Trabectedin is an alkylating drug that binds guanine residues in the minor groove of DNA, forming adducts and resulting in a bending of the DNA helix towards the major groove. Adduct formation triggers a cascade of events that can affect the subsequent activity of DNA binding proteins, including some transcription factors, and DNA repair pathways, resulting in perturbation of the cell cycle and eventual cell death.