A member asked:

Could you please describe two ways in which melphalan might kill cancer cells?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

Alkylating agent: Melphalan or Alkeran, (melphalan) is a chemotherapy drug belonging to the class of nitrogen mustard alkylating agents. An alkylating agent adds an alkyl group (CnH2n+1) to DNA. It attaches the alkyl group to the guanine base of DNA, at the number 7 nitrogen atom of the imidazole ring and destroys DNA function of the cell. First recognized by Karnofsky when mustard gas used in World War I, mortality resulted from destroying WBC’s He helped develop nitrogen mustard as a chemotherapeutic agent

Answered 2/28/2017

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