A hypothesis for the mechanism of tumor killing by NG-hydroxymethyl-L-arginines.
Arginine reacts with formaldehyde in a spontaneous equilibrium reaction yielding hydroxymethyl derivatives. They seem to have an direct and indirect inhibiting effect on cell proliferation.
D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D005557:Formaldehyde; C048576:omega-N-hydroxymethylarginine; D001120:Arginine