arsenic trioxide + dexamethasone

**Arsenic trioxide + dexamethasone** is an investigational drug combination involving two established agents: arsenic trioxide, an inorganic compound used predominantly for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid with potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive actions. The combination has been explored primarily in hematologic malignancies such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and multiple myeloma (MM), often in drug-resistant forms. Mechanistically, arsenic trioxide induces apoptosis via multiple pathways including inhibition of Akt signaling, elevation of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bad), and downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins (XIAP). Dexamethasone acts on the glucocorticoid receptor, modulating anti-inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Notably, arsenic trioxide may sensitize glucocorticoid-resistant leukemia cells to dexamethasone through Akt pathway suppression, enhancing dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. This combination is currently not a branded product and no fixed-dose regulatory formulation exists for the two drugs together[3].

Brand names

None known specific to this combination

Other names

None known specific to this combination