Mechlorethamine, also known as Mustine or Valchlor, is an alkylating agent used as an antineoplastic drug. This molecule was formerly used as a war gas. This drug is indicated for the palliative treatment of Hodgkin's disease, lymphosarcoma, mycosis fungoides, polycythemia vera, bronchogenic carcinoma, and chronic myelocytic. All the alkylating agents work by three different mechanisms to achieve the result: disruption of the cancerous cell's DNA in a cell cycle-nonspecific manner, thus causing apoptosis. The first mechanism of action of mechlorethamine is the fragmentation of DNA by the attachment of alkyl groups to DNA bases. It is because repair enzymes attempt to replace those baes. This prevents DNA synthesis and RNA transcription. Secondly, the drug also creates cross-links between atoms in the DNA, resulting in DNA damage and the impossibility to separate each strand for the transcription. The third mechanism is the induction of mispairing of the nucleotides, thus leading to mutations. This drug is administered as a topical gel or as an intravenous or intracavitary solution.

Mechlorethamine Pathway (New) References