Styrene maleic acid copolymer-conjugated neocarzinostatin

Oda T, Maeda H. Binding to and internalization by cultured cells of neocarzinostatin and enhancement of its actions by conjugation with hpophihc styrene-maleic acid copolymer. Cancer Res 1987 47 3206 3211. 

Examples of clinically validated water-insoluble, biodegradable polymers include material such as poly(D,L,lactide-c< -glycolide (PLGA) poly(ortho esters) (POE) and polyisohexylcyanoacrylate (PIHCA) These materials have been used for the preparation of nanoparticles, biodegradable implants and viscous injectable materials. In addition, one amphiphilic material, poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) copolymer conjugated with neocarzinostatin (SMANCS) dissolved in lipid contrast medium Lipiodol, has proven efficacious in several clinical tri s for the treatment of cancer... 

Initially, Maeda et al. conjugated an antitumor protein neocarzinostatin (NCS, MW 12 kDa) with copolymer of styrene-maleic acid half-w-butylate (SMA) [59-61]. The eonjugation of protein (NCS) with SMA called SMANCS... 

Modification of hydrophilic proteins with hydrophobic polymers has been also explored as a way to enhance protein transport into a cell. For example, conjugation of a small water-soluble peptide neocarzinostatin, with poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) copolymer (SMANCS) resulted in a 20 to 30 fold enhancement ofthe transport ofthe peptide into a cell. This polymer conjugate also displayed facilitated uptake into cells at acidic pH, which may be due to protonation of carboxylic groups of the polymer chain rendering it even more hydrophobic. Since more acidic environment is... 

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