Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Radical Autoxidation01:20

Radical Autoxidation

2.6K
The oxidation of an organic compound in the presence of air or oxygen is called autoxidation. For example, cumene reacts with oxygen to form hydroperoxide. Autoxidation involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. Many organic compounds are susceptible to autoxidation—especially ethers in the presence of oxygen, which form hydroperoxides. Even though this reaction is slow, old ether bottles contain small amounts of peroxide, which leads to laboratory explosions during ether...
2.6K
Oxidation and Reduction of Organic Molecules01:19

Oxidation and Reduction of Organic Molecules

8.5K
Energy production within a cell involves many coordinated chemical pathways. Most of these pathways are combinations of oxidation and reduction reactions, which occur at the same time. An oxidation reaction strips an electron from an atom in a compound, and the addition of this electron to another compound is a reduction reaction. Because oxidation and reduction usually occur together, these pairs of reactions are called redox reactions.
The removal of an electron from a molecule, results in a...
8.5K
ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis01:28

ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis

6.4K
Biological macromolecules are organic compounds, predominantly composed of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are covalently bonded with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other minor elements. There are four major biological macromolecule classes: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Most macromolecules are composed of single subunits, or building blocks, called monomers. The monomers combine with each other using covalent bonds to form larger molecules known as polymers.
Conversion of...
6.4K
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.2K
The mechanism for anionic chain-growth polymerization involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, initiates the polymerization process by attacking the π bond of the vinylic monomer. As a result, a carbanion, stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group, is generated. The resulting carbanion acts as a Michael donor in the propagation step and attacks the second vinylic monomer, which acts as a Michael...
2.2K
Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes02:35

Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes

8.6K
The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
8.6K
Oxygenic Photosynthesis01:26

Oxygenic Photosynthesis

417
Oxygenic photosynthesis is a fundamental process in which light energy is harnessed to drive the oxidation of water, leading to the production of molecular oxygen (O₂), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). This process is essential for sustaining aerobic life on Earth and is primarily carried out by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The core of oxygenic photosynthesis lies in the thylakoid membranes, where chlorophyll pigments facilitate...
417

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Elemental Selenium/Tellurium in Polymer Assemblies: Responsive Innovation.

Polymer science & technology (Washington, D.C.)·2026
Same author

Dynamic Covalent Se─Se Bonds Enable Mechanically Adaptive Selenium Crystals.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Polymer Shape Morphing Based on Dynamic Chemistries.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026
Same author

Recyclable thermoplastic silicone elastomers from non-carbon heteroatomic polymer backbones.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Biomimetic Polymerization of Tellurocysteine: Breaking the Natural Amino Acid Radioprotection Limitation.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Ultrafast Programming of Large Curvature Based on Selenium-Sulfur Dynamic Metathesis.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Visualizing the Effects of Oxidative Damage on Drosophila Egg Chambers using Live Imaging
09:20

Visualizing the Effects of Oxidative Damage on Drosophila Egg Chambers using Live Imaging

Published on: April 10, 2021

3.9K

Oxidative Polymerization in Living Cells.

Yiheng Dai1, Tianyu Li2, Zhiheng Zhang1

  • 1Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 23, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists developed a novel intracellular polymerization reaction using organotellurides. This reaction, triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS), selectively targets cancer cells, inducing apoptosis and offering a new strategy for cancer therapy.

More Related Videos

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
05:48

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes

Published on: November 21, 2017

8.2K
Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers
10:16

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers

Published on: January 28, 2016

7.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Visualizing the Effects of Oxidative Damage on Drosophila Egg Chambers using Live Imaging
09:20

Visualizing the Effects of Oxidative Damage on Drosophila Egg Chambers using Live Imaging

Published on: April 10, 2021

3.9K
Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
05:48

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes

Published on: November 21, 2017

8.2K
Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers
10:16

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers

Published on: January 28, 2016

7.8K

Area of Science:

  • Chemical Biology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Intracellular polymerization is a promising technique for modulating cell behavior.
  • The cellular environment presents significant challenges for controlled polymerization.
  • Organotellurides offer unique chemical properties for novel reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel, stimuli-independent oxidative polymerization reaction within cells.
  • To leverage the intracellular redox environment for targeted polymerization.
  • To explore the potential of this reaction for cancer cell apoptosis induction.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized organotellurides for intracellular polymerization.
  • Exploited the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) environment as a trigger.
  • Investigated the mechanism of polymerization-induced apoptosis via self-amplification.
  • Assessed the interaction of polymerization products with selenoproteins and antioxidant systems.
  • Evaluated anticancer efficacy and biosafety both in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

  • Developed a novel oxidative polymerization reaction controllable by intracellular ROS.
  • Demonstrated selective polymerization and apoptosis induction in cancer cells.
  • Identified a self-amplifying mechanism involving disruption of antioxidant systems and selenoproteins.
  • Confirmed selective anticancer efficacy and biosafety in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions:

  • Achieved intracellular polymerization triggered by endogenous ROS, enabling selective cancer cell targeting.
  • Established a novel self-amplifying mechanism for inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.
  • Provided a new chemical strategy for manipulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis, with potential therapeutic applications.