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Updated: Aug 18, 2025

A Facile and Efficient Approach for the Production of Reversible Disulfide Cross-linked Micelles
Published on: December 23, 2016
Reactive Oxygen Species-Triggered Hydrogen Sulfide Release and Cancer-Selective Antiproliferative Effect of Anethole
André J van der Vlies1, Masoud Ghasemi2, Bernadette M Adair1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Abstract:
Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) is a gaseous signaling molecule in the human body and has attracted attention in cancer therapy due to its regulatory roles in cancer cell proliferation and migration. Accumulating evidence suggests that continuous delivery of H2 S to cancer cells for extended periods of time suppresses cancer progression. However, one major challenge in therapeutic applications of H2 S is its controlled delivery. To solve this problem, polymeric micelles are developed containing H2 S donating-anethole dithiolethione (ADT) groups, with H2 S release profiles optimal for suppressing cancer cell proliferation. The micelles release H2 S upon oxidation by reactive oxygens species (ROS) that are present inside the cells. The H2 S release profiles can be controlled by changing the polymer design. Furthermore, the micelles that show a moderate H2 S release rate exert the strongest anti-proliferative effect in human colon cancer cells in in vitro assays as well as the chick chorioallantoic membrane cancer model, while the micelles do not affect proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. This study shows the importance of fine-tuning H2 S release profiles using a micelle approach for realizing the full therapeutic potential of H2 S in cancer treatment.
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