A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer. It belongs to the family of drugs called antimetabolites.

An amino acid analogue and antibiotic derived from the bacterium Streptomyces alanosinicus with antimetabolite and potential antineoplastic activities. L-alanosine inhibits adenylosuccinate synthetase, which converts inosine monophospate (IMP) into adenylosuccinate, an intermediate in purine metabolism. L-alanosine-induced disruption of de novo purine biosynthesis is potentiated by methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) deficiency. The clinical use of this agent may be limited by its toxicity profile. MTAP is a key enzyme in the adenine and methionine salvage pathways.