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7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene[1]
IUPAC name	7,12-dimethylbenzo[b]phenanthrene
Identifiers
CAS number	57-97-6 Y
PubChem	6001
SMILES	CC1=C2C=CC3=CC=CC=C3C2=C(C4=CC=CC=C14)C
Properties
Molecular formula	C20H16
Molar mass	256.34104
Melting point	122-123 °C
Hazards
R-phrases	R45 R22
S-phrases	S53 S36/37 S45
Y (what is this?)  (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene is a powerful organ-specific laboratory carcinogen.^[2] Also known as 7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene or DMBA, this substance is widely used in many research laboratories studying cancer. DMBA serves as a tumor initiator by making necessary mutations. Tumor promotion can be induced with treatments of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in some models of two-stage carcinogenesis.^[3] This allows for a greatly accelerated rate of tumor growth, making many cancer studies possible.

References