Fludarabine phosphate: A DNA synthesis inhibitor with potent immunosuppressive activity and minimal clinical toxicity

Fludarabine phosphate selectively eliminates normal and malignant mononuclear cells in large animals and man through the inhibition of DNA synthesis. The drug depletes mononuclear cells from culture within 24 hours of initial exposure, CD4 and CD8 T cells being more sensitive than either CD20 B cells or CD34 bone marrow precursors. Mitogenic activation of lymphocytes enhances cellular elimination from culture. Fludarabine inhibits PHA-induced T-cell proliferation by >90 per cent and mixed lymphocyte reactions (allogeneic and xenogeneic) by >95 per cent. Fludarabine exerts its cytolytic effects through the induction of endonuclease-independent apoptosis. A 5-day course of fludarabine (50 mg/m2 intravenously once daily) induces both T- and B-cell lymphopenia in Cynomolgus monkeys and Papio baboons. Transient neutropenia was the only side-effect seen in experimental animals. Pretreatment of Cynomolgus monkeys with this regimen of fludarabine causes a prolongation of ABO-compatible skin allograft survival from 8 days (control) to 16 days (drug treated group). Secondary allotransplantation into presensitized recipients showed a similar prolongation of graft survival with fludarabine pretreatment (8 days vs 5 days control). Fludarabine promises to be a potent immunosuppressive agent with low clinical toxicity.