IT IS AN ORGANIC THIOPHOSPHATE AND PROTECTS CELLS AGAINST DAMAGE INDUCED BY RADIO AND CHEMOTHERAPY. IT IS A PRODRUG AND REQUIRE ACTIVATION IN THE BODY BY ALKALINE PHOSPHOTASE TO THE ACTIVE METABOLITE WITH A THIOL GROUP. IT SHOWS A MUCH GREATER PROTECTIVE ACTION IN THE HIGHER ACTIVITY OF ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE IN THEIR CELL MEMBRANES THUS ALLOWING GREATER CONVERSION OF AMIFOSTINE INTO THE ACTIVE METABOLITE.IT REDUCES NEUTROPENIC RELATED INFECTIONS IN THE BODY DURING ANTICANCEROUS THERAPY. THE ABILITY TO DIFFERENTIALLY PROTECT NORMAL TISSUES IS
ATTRIBUTED TO THE HIGHER CAPILLARY ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY, HIGHER PH AND BETTER VASCULARITY OF NORMAL TISSUES RELATIVE TO TUMOR TISSUE, WHICH RESULTS IN A MORE RAPID GENERATION OF THE ACTIVE THIOL METABOLITE AS WELL AS A HIGHER RATE CONSTANT FOR UPTAKE. THE HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF FREE THIOL IN NORMAL TISSUES IS AVAILABLE TO BIND TO, AND THEREBY DETOXIFY, REACTIVE METABOLITES OF CISPLATIN; AND ALSO CAN ACT AS A SCAVENGER OF FREE RADICALS THAT MAY BE GENERATED IN TISSUES EXPOSED TO CISPLATIN.