• Chemical Education



• Polymeric Anti-Tumor Agents

The Chemical Education group at Florida Atlantic University is working to develop and implement education initiatives designed to improve student understanding, interest, and performance in chemistry. This research has its basis in cognitive science which has revealed fundamental principles of science learning, including the necessity for a conceptual framework of knowledge, for active learning methods, and for student exploration of the learning process. We are applying these principles through Project ChemBOND, which involves revising several of the chemistry courses at FAU, including General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, to incorporate conceptually-oriented lectures, integrated laboratory exercises that reinforce essential ideas, classroom communication systems to increase student involvement, interactive web-based problems, group activities, and writing assignments to develop critical thinking skills.

Metal-containing polymers have potential as anti-cancer agents. Metal-containing compounds such as cisplatinum are used successfully in chemotherapy, but they produce numerous undesirable side effects. In addition, tumor cells can become resistant to these compounds and other small chemotherapeutic drugs. Polymeric derivatives of cisplatinum offer several possible advantages over the smaller compounds, including reduced toxicity, increased therapeutic effects, timed-release action, multiple cellular targets, easy modification, and ability to bypass cellular resistance mechanisms. Tin-containing polymers are also showing promise as anti-cancer drugs. The structure-activity relationships of these polymers and their mechanisms of action are being investigated.

Recent Publications

Siegmann-Louda, D.W.; Carraher, C.E. Polymeric Platinum-Containing Drugs in the Treatment of Cancer. Macromolecules Containing Metal- and Metal-Like Elements (Carraher, Pittman, Abd-El-Aziz, Zeldin, Sheats, eds.) Wiley, New York 2004, 119-192.

Carraher C.E.; Siegmann-Louda, D.W. Organotin Macromolecules as Anti-Cancer Drugs. Macromolecules Containing Metal- and Metal-Like Elements (Carraher, Pittman, Abd-El-Aziz, Zeldin, Sheats, eds.) Wiley, New York 2004, 57-74.

Doucette, R.; Siegmann-Louda, D.; Carraher, C. Inhibition of Ovarian Adenocarcinoma Cells by Organotin Polyamines Derived from 2-Chloro-1,4-Benzenediamine in Dilute Aqueous HMPA and Aqueous DMSO Solutions. Polym. Mater. Sci. Eng. 91, 569-570, 2004.

Siegmann-Louda, D.; Carraher, C.; Riley, S.; Kenzo, M. Inhibition of Balb 3T3 Cells by Organotin Polyesters Derived from Ticarcillin. Polym. Mater. Sci. Eng. 92, 430-432, 2005.

Siegmann-Louda, D.; Carraher, C.; Fletcher, A.; Herrera, Y.; Zhao, A. Inhibition of Balb 3T3 Cells by Organotin Polymers Containing Ciprofloxacin and Cephalexin. Polym. Mater. Sci. Eng. 92, 433-435, 2005.

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