Andreia Valente
Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
Title: Polymer-metal conjugates: Versatile scaffolds for the synthesis of new antitumor drugs
Biography
Biography: Andreia Valente
Abstract
Polymer-metal conjugates have been widely used in several areas such as pollution control, hydrometallurgy, polymer grafts, water- and waste water-treatment, industrial processes, between others. More recently an interest towards these scaffolds has been growing in the area of medicinal chemistry due to their chemical versatility. This is especially relevant for targeted cancer therapy where multifunctional compounds are many times needed in order to increase selectivity towards cancer cells, while decreasing the side effects. In this frame a new family of polymer-metal conjugates comprising macro ligands based on the biocompatible and biodegradable polylactide and polyethylene glycol will be presented. Their anticancer properties will be shown by means of cellular viability, apoptosis, autophagy, proliferation, in vitro drug internalization and release studies and ultrastructure analysis of cells. Preliminary in vivo studies for the lead polymer metal conjugate will be also discussed.
