DNA Reductase: A Synthetic Enzyme with Opportunist Clinical Activity Against Radiation Sickness International Symposium on Applications of Enzymes in Chemical and Biological Defense, Plenary Session Abstracts, May 2001

This compound is a liquid crystal polymer composed of palladium and lipoic acid. It has been reported to show DNA electronic reducing activity by cyclic voltammetry (1). A charge transfer from membrane phospholipid to DNA is the presumptive mechanism whereby certain tumors, protozoa, and yeasts, are inhibited by this complex. The subcellular site of destruction has been shown to be the membrane (2). The functional catalytic group incriminated by ESR spectroscopy is a sequestered peroxide within the polymer, which unlike solvated peroxide, does not form superoxide. We believe this sequestered peroxide is the charge carrier site. This charge carrier is able to discharge into tumor membranes during cellular migration of the complex. The electronic reduction denatures the polar disulfide groups binding peptides together and compromises the integrity of the membrane.