We report for the first time the development and evaluation of a new class of enzymatically degradable NO-releasing S-nitrosated dextran thiomers as potential pro-drugs for the selective induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were grown to confluence with these NO-releasing dextran derivatives using the parent dextran thiomers as controls. With an average release of 0.13 � 0.16 mmol NO/g under physiological conditions, a marked difference in growth was observed between the cells treated with the NO-releasing dextran samples and those treated with the control sample. The MCF-7 cells treated with NO-releasing samples showed a shallower growth profile and the growth was found to be most inhibited during the first 24h after exposure. This preliminary study suggests that the release of NO from the S-nitrosated dextran derivatives activates the apoptotic pathways within the neoplastic cells, leading to the observed cell death. Further studies are in progress to investigate the effect of NO on the apoptosis of a variety of other cancer cell lines as well as to optimize the time-dosage relationships.

Nitric oxide-releasing pro-drugs for induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells

245th National Meeting (2013)

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