Tiopronin

Tiopronin
Systematic (IUPAC) name
(RS)-[(2-mercaptopropanoyl)amino]acetic acid
Identifiers
CAS number	1953-02-2
ATC code	R05CB12 QG04BC90
PubChem	5483
Chemical data
Formula	C5H9NO3S
Mol. mass	163.196 g/mol
Synonyms	Thiopronine
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	?
Metabolism	?
Half life	?
Excretion	?
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.	C(US)
Legal status	℞-only(US)
Routes	?

Tiopronin (trade name Thiola) is a prescription thiol drug used to control the rate of cystine precipitation and excretion in the disease cystinuria. It is a white crystalline powder. Due to its rarity, it falls under the classification of "orphan drug".

Side effects

Tiopronin may present a wide variety of side effects, but side effects are usually limited and subside over time with continued usage. Due to the rarity of the disease cystinuria, Tiopronin has not been studied substantially.

Other uses

Tiopronin is used primarily for cystinuria and is well known in the cystinuric community. It may also be used for Wilson's disease (an overload of copper in the body), and certain types of rare arthritis. It should be mentioned though, that tiopronin is not an anti-inflammatory.

Depending on the severity of a person's cystinuria, tiopronin may be taken for life, possibly starting in early childhood.

Tiopronin is also sometimes used as a stabilizing agent for metal nanoparticles. The thiol group binds to the nanoparticles, preventing coagulation.^[1]

See also

• Cystinuria

References

• Jennifer A. Dahl, Bettye L. S. Maddux, and James E. Hutchison. "Toward Greener Nanosynthesis." Chemical Reviews 107 (6), 2228-2269, 2007
• Thiola Main Site