Dactinomycin, also known as actinomycin D, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes Wilms tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, trophoblastic neoplasm, testicular cancer, and certain types of ovarian cancer. It is given by injection into a vein.

What is actinomycin used for?

A drug that comes from the bacterium Streptomyces parvulus and is used alone or with other drugs to treat adults and children with Ewing sarcoma, gestational trophoblastic tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms tumor, or certain types of testicular cancer and adults with certain types of solid tumors.

How does actinomycin work in a cancer cell?

Actinomycin D (ActD), is an anti-neoplastic agent that inhibits RNA synthesis by binding to guanine residues and inhibiting DNA-dependent RNA polymerase [15,16]. ActD is a known DNA-interacting transcription blocker with anti-cancer activity [17,18], working as a cytotoxic inducer of apoptosis against tumor cells [16].