UCN-01 (7-hydroxystaurosporine) is a
protein kinase inhibitor which is under development as an anti-
cancer agent in the USA and Japan. Although
UCN-01 was originally isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. as a
protein kinase C-selective inhibitor, its ultimate target as an anti-
cancer agent remains elusive. As a single agent,
UCN-01 exhibits two key biochemical effects, namely accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and induction of apoptosis. Both these effects may be important for its anti-
cancer activity. As a modulator,
UCN-01 enhances the cytotoxicity of other anti-
cancer drugs such as
DNA-damaging agents and anti-metabolite drugs through putative abrogation of G2 and/or S phase accumulation induced by these anti-
cancer agents. Currently, in addition to
UCN-01, four other indolocarbazole anti-
cancer drugs-two
protein kinase inhibitors,
CGP 41251,
CEP-751, and two
DNA-damaging agents,
NB-506 and a
Rebeccamycin analog-are undergoing clinical investigations in the USA, Europe or Japan. In this review, we would like to address the differences and similarities of these indolocarbazole compounds as anti-
cancer agents with regard to their mechanism(s) of action, the effects on cell cycle progression, induction of apoptosis and modulation of drug sensitivity.