In some forms of leukemia the proliferating white blood cells contain very low levels of asparagine… Show more In some forms of leukemia the proliferating white blood cells contain very low levels of asparagine synthetase. some years ago, there was interest in treating these leukemia by purifying the enzyme asparaginase from e.coli and injecting it into the bloodstream of leukemic patients. asparaginase catalyzes the hydrolysis of asparagine to aspartate plus ammonia. what is the rationale behind this mode of therapy and why might you expect it not to work • Show less