Actinomycin D is a polypeptide antibiotic first described by Waksman. It is bacteriostatic in nature, especially towards gram negative bacteria. Actinomycin D was the first antibiotic shown to have anti-cancer activity.

Actinomycin is a clear, yellow liquid administered intravenously and most commonly used in the treatment of a variety of cancers. It is also used as a radiosensitizer in adjunct to radiotherapies since it can increase the radiosensitivity of tumor cells, by inhibiting repair of sublethal radiation damage and, delay the onset of the compensatory hyperplasia that occurs following irradiation.

In cell biology, actinomycin D is shown to have the ability to inhibit transcription, this occurs by binding DNA at the transcription initiation complex and preventing elongation of RNA chain by RNA polymerase. 

Additional Information

Additional Information