NCIt definition : A basic glycopeptide antineoplastic antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces verticillus.
Bleomycin antibiotics form complexes with iron that react with molecular oxygen to
produce superoxide and hydroxyl free radicals, causing single- and double-stranded
breaks in DNA. These reactive oxygen species also induce lipid peroxidation, carbohydrate
oxidation, and alterations in prostaglandin synthesis and degradation.;