Oxidation Responsiveness of Polythioacetals and their Anti-Inflammatory Potential

Nora Francini – Post-doc, Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University Biomedical Engineering; Giulia Della Rosa – Technologist, Italian Institute of Technology; Cristina Manuela Santi – Post-doc, Italian Institute of Technology; Nicola Tirelli – Senior Researcher Tenured - Principal Investigator, Italian Institute of Technology

Introduction:

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are biologically relevant oxidants. At low concentration, they support survival pathways, while progressively higher levels induce inflammatory activation, apoptosis up to exerting direct toxicity (1). In the central nervous system (CNS), elevated ROS worsen the progression and the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, and trauma (2). ROS scavenging is therefore at the basis of several anti-inflammatory approaches. Here, we worked on poly(thioacetals) (PTAs), sulfur-based macromolecules that at the same time scavenge and are depolymerized by ROS.