Influence of Molecular Weight on the Biological Effects of Benzocaine Modified Maleic Anhydride Copolymer

Abstract

A new series of polyanionic polymers with antitumor activity were synthesized by conjugating ethyl 4-aminobenzoate onto a series of maleic anhydride (MA) copolymers of vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, and styrene. The molecular weight of these copolymers ranged from 18 103 to 2 105. The in vivo and in vitro biological tests showed that the maleic anhydride synthesized copolymers exhibit prolonged half-life in serum, accumulate in K562 erythroleukemia solid tumors, and inhibit tumor growth. The antitumor activity appears to be increased by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect which is related to the macromolecular size of the antitumor agent.