Abstract
Alkylating substances were the first and are still among the most important agents used in the treatment of human cancer. The mechanism of action of alkylating substances in vivo is still a matter of debate (Wheeler 1982). DNA has been considered to be the primary target for the cytotoxic action of these drugs on susceptible cells. The DNA alkylation hypothesis is attractive on structural grounds because alkylating agents bind to the nitrogen-7 position of guanine, cross-linking DNA strands, and thus inhibiting DNA replication and cell division (Wheeler 1962). There are reasons, however, to question the importance of this mechanism in vivo, since binding sites of other molecules important for cell survival are readily available, as for instance sulfhydryl-containing molecules.
This work was supported by the Krebsliga des Kantons Zürich, and the Heinz Kaiser Fonds. We thank Rosmarie Ammann for perfect secretarial assistance
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Sauter, C., Cogoli, M., Arrenbrecht, S., Marti, C. (1984). Neutralization of cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum II and Nitrogen Mustard by Thiols. In: Hofmann, V., Berens, M.E., Martz, G. (eds) Predictive Drug Testing on Human Tumor Cells. Recent Results in Cancer Research, vol 94. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-82295-7_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-82295-7_25
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