Biological activity of maleic anhydride copolymers. I. Biocompatibility and antitumoural effects of maleic anhydride-vinyl acetate, maleic anhydride-methyl methacrylate and maleic anhydride-styrene copolymers.

A series of maleic anhydride (MA)-vinyl acetate (VA), MA-methyl methacrylate (MM), and MA-styrene (S) copolymers were prepared and characterized. On employing various amounts of initiator, maleic anhydride-vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, and styrene copolymers with molecular weights ranging between 18,000 and 200,000 have been obtained. The in vivo and in vitro tests performed on K562 cellular cultures (human chronic myeloid leukemia) have shown that, as a function of the molecular weight, the synthesized copolymers demonstrate a 50% in vitro cytotoxicity and an average tumour regression of maximum 68%.