2'-Deoxyadenosine (dA, 2'-dA)

2'-Deoxyadenosine is a naturally occurring purine nucleoside composed of adenine linked to a deoxyribose sugar. It is a DNA component and plays central roles in genetic information storage and cellular metabolism. It is not itself considered a therapeutic target, but its metabolism is clinically significant; inborn errors (especially ADA deficiency) or pharmacological ADA inhibition lead to its accumulation and resulting immune suppression or toxicity. At excessive intracellular concentrations, particularly when ADA is absent, it induces cell death in lymphocytes and can contribute to immunodeficiency syndromes. In summary, 2'-deoxyadenosine is not a canonical drug target, but a physiologically important metabolite whose dysregulation is implicated in disease. Therapies focus on its metabolic enzymes (e.g., ADA), not the nucleoside itself.

Other names

Deoxyadenosine2'-dAdAAdenyldeoxyribosideAdenine deoxyribose(2R,3S,5R)-5-(6-Amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-2-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran-3-ol

In ADA deficiency or with ADA inhibitor treatment: accumulation of deoxyadenosine and associated metabolites is toxic to lymphocytes, primarily by interfering with DNA synthesis and repair, leading to apoptosis