Nitrosoureas

• Examples of nitrosoureas include carmustine, lomustine, semustine, streptozocin
• Mechanism of nitrosoureas is alkylation.

  Additional mechanism is carbamoylation of lysine residues of protein through formation of isocyanates, inhibiting DNA repair & RNA synthesis.
• Nitrosoureas are highly lipid soluble, therefore, they can cross BBB and are used for brain cancer chemotherapy.
• Side effects of nitrosoureas include pulmonary toxicity and interstitial nephritis.
• Nitrosoureas are deposited at liver and adipose tissue.
• Carbamoylation, aka cabomylation, is a post-translational modification that oocurs when isocyanic acid reacts with free functional groups of proteins.