Asparaginase is an enzyme that is used as a medication and in food manufacturing. As a medication, L-asparaginase is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It is given by injection into a vein, muscle, or under the skin. A pegylated version is also available. In food manufacturing it is used to decrease acrylamide.Common side effects when used by injection include allergic reactions, pancreatitis, blood clotting problems, high blood sugar, kidney problems, and liver dysfunction. Use in pregnancy may harm the baby. As a food it is generally recognized as safe. Asparaginase works by breaking down the amino acid known as asparagine without which the cancer cells cannot make protein.The most common adverse reactions of asparaginase erwinia chrysanthemi (recombinant)-rywn include abnormal liver tests, nausea, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, infection, headache, pyrexia, drug hypersensitivity, febrile neutropenia, decreased appetite, stomatitis, bleeding, and hyperglycemia.Asparaginase was approved for medical use in the United States in 1978. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. It is often made from Escherichia coli (E. coli) or Erwinia chrysanthemi. Uses
Asparaginases can be used for different industrial and pharmaceutical purposes. Medical
E. coli strains are the main source of medical asparaginase. Branded formulations (with different chemical and pharmacological properties) available in 1998 include Asparaginase Medac, Ciderolase, and Oncaspar. : 5  (Crasnitin has been discontinued.)
Spectrila is a recombinant E. coli asparaginase.Asparaginase produced by Dickeya dadantii (formerly called Erwinia chrysanthemi) instead is known as crisantaspase (BAN), and is available in the United Kingdom under the brand name Erwinase.One of the E. coli asparaginases marketed under the brand name Elspar for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is also used in some mast cell tumor protocols.On 30 June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved asparaginase erwinia chrysanthemi (recombinant)-rywn) as a component of a multi-agent chemotherapeutic regimen for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) in people aged one month or older who have developed hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase. The FDA granted the application for asparaginase erwinia chrysanthemi (recombinant)-rywn fast track and orphan drug designations. Food manufacturing
The most common use of asparaginases is as a processing aid in the manufacture of food. Asparaginases are used as a food processing aid to reduce the formation of acrylamide, a suspected carcinogen, in starchy food products such as snacks, biscuits and fried potato. Side effects
The main side effect is an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction; anaphylaxis is a possibility. Additionally, it can also be associated with a coagulopathy as it decreases protein synthesis, including synthesis of coagulation factors (e.g. progressive isolated decrease of fibrinogen) and anticoagulant factor (generally antithrombin III; sometimes protein C & S as well), leading to bleeding or thrombotic events such as stroke.