Description: <p><b>Cytarabine</b> - Cytosine Arabinoside</p>
<p><b>Recommended Abbreviation:</b> Ara-C, Cytarabine</p>
<p><b>Alternative Names:</b> Cytosine arabinoside, Ara-C</p>
<p><b>Type:</b> Antimetabolite / pyrimidine nucleoside analog / chemotherapy drug</p>
<p><b>Function:</b> Cytarabine is converted intracellularly to its active triphosphate metabolite, ara-CTP, which competes with deoxycytidine triphosphate for incorporation into DNA and inhibits DNA polymerase. This disrupts DNA synthesis and preferentially affects rapidly dividing cells during S phase.</p>
<p><b>Cancer:</b> Established anticancer drug used particularly in acute myeloid leukemia and other hematologic malignancies. Cytarabine induces replication stress, DNA synthesis inhibition, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis.</p>