methoxsalen

Definition / meaning of methoxsalen

A naturally occurring substance isolated from the seeds of the plant Ammi majus with photoactivating properties. As a member of the family of compounds known as psoralens or furocoumarins, methoxsalen’s exact mechanism of action is unknown; upon photoactivation, methoxsalen has been observed to bind covalently to and crosslink DNA.

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Source(s):

The Web site of the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov/)

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