Asparaginase is primarily used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer that affects white blood cells. It works by breaking down asparagine, an amino acid that leukemia cells require for growth but cannot produce on their own. By depleting asparagine levels in the blood, the enzyme effectively starves the cancer cells, inhibiting their proliferation while sparing normal cells, which can synthesize their own asparagine. In addition to its use in ALL, asparaginase is sometimes employed in the treatment of other lymphoid malignancies, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is often administered as part of combination chemotherapy regimens to enhance the effectiveness of other anticancer drugs. Beyond oncology, asparaginase has potential applications in the food industry, where it is used to reduce acrylamide formation in starchy foods during high-temperature processing, such as frying or baking. Acrylamide is a potentially harmful compound, and the enzyme helps mitigate its presence, contributing to safer food products.