Abstract

SYNTHETIC NUCLEIC ACIDS FROM THYMIDINE AND ORGANOTIN DIHALIDES AND THEIR ABILITY TO INHIBIT HUMAN CANCER CELL LINES INCLUDING PANCREATIC ACID AND GLIOBLASTOMAS CELL LINES

Loretta Chen, Jessica Frank, Charles E. Carraher, Jr.*, Michael R. Roner, Kimberly Shahi, Paul Slawek and Francesca Mosca

Abstract

Using the interfacial polymerization technique, synthetic nucleic acid polymers derived from thymidine and organotin dihalides were formed in moderate yield and chain length. Products were synthesized using the interfacial polycondensation process and commercially available reagents for easy reproducibility. Structural characterization of polymers was carried out using Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), and Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Light scattering Photometry was used to determine chain length. The polymers showed good inhibition of a battery of human cancer cell lines including two breast, two pancreatic, and two glioblastoma brain cancer lines. All polymers tested were able to differentiate between healthy and malignant cells, showing excellent selectivity toward malignant cells.

Keywords: thymidine, organotin dihalides, organotin polymers, synthetic nucleic acids, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, glioblastomas brain cancer, MALDI MS, interfacial polymerization.