NCIt definition : A purine nucleoside antimetabolite analogue. Cladribine triphosphate, a phosphorylated
metabolite of cladribine, incorporates into DNA, resulting in single-strand breaks
in DNA, depletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and adenosine triphosphate
(ATP), and apoptosis. Because this agent is resistant to adenosine deaminase, an enzyme
that inactivates some antineoplastic agents, it is selectively toxic to lymphocytes
and monocytes which exhibit little deoxynucleotide deaminase activity. (NCI04);
Alternative definition : NCI-GLOSS: An anticancer drug that belongs to the family of drugs called antimetabolites.;