Nitrogen mustard

Nitrogen mustards are cytotoxic organic compounds sharing a bis(2-chloroethyl)amino functional group that act as DNA alkylating agents in cancer treatment. They were originally developed as chemical warfare agents, then became the first chemotherapy drugs used against cancer following studies at Yale during the Second World War. The compounds work by forming cross links between strands of DNA, which triggers the death of malignant cells such as those of lymphoma. Early nitrogen mustard drugs like mustine are rarely used today because of their toxicity, but derivatives including cyclophosphamide and bendamustine remain important chemotherapy medicines, and the parent compounds remain tightly regulated under the Chemical Weapons Convention.