Amustaline (S-303) dihydrochloride, a nucleic acid-targeted alkylator, is an efficient pathogen inactivation agent for blood components containing red blood cells. Amustaline dihydrochloride has three components: an acridine anchor (an intercalator that targets nucleic acids non-covalently), an effector (a bis-alkylator group that reacts with nucleophiles), and a linker (a small flexible carbon chain containing a labile ester bond that hydrolyzes at neutral pH to yield non-reactive breakdown products)