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Nitric Oxide Research at the Laboratory of Comparative Carcinogenesis

Contact us at:

(301)-846-1467

Focus of Our Research

Nitric oxide (NO) has been known to chemists for more than two centuries. As recently as 1987 this diatomic free radical was considered to be just a toxic gas, one of the constituents of tobacco smoke and a precursor of other harmful oxides of nitrogen responsible for nitrosamine formation. However, by 1988 the evidence was overwhelming that nitric oxide was an integral contributor to normal physiological function, giving way to a major revolution in biomedical research.

Diazeniumdiolate Chemistry as a Platform for Designing Nitric Oxide-Based Therapies and Improved Biomedical Research Tools

We are studying the fundamental chemistry of the diazeniumdiolates (also known as “NONOates” or “NOC compounds”) with the aim of using the knowledge gained to engineer potential advances in clinical medicine as well as improved tools for studying the physiological roles of NO. Ionic diazeniumdiolates spontaneously generate bioactive NO at tunable rates in physiological media with half-lives from 2 seconds to 20 hours.

Derivatization of diazeniumdiolates at the O₂ position permits enzymatically-driven release of NO, yielding strategies for specific delivery to target physiological sites. Incorporation of the diazeniumdiolate functional group into insoluble polymers allows targeting of NO release to tissues or physiological fluids in intimate contact with the polymer surface.

We have obtained patents covering a variety of these compounds, some of which are commercially distributed as research tools.

Basic Research in Diazeniumdiolate Chemistry

The essential starting point for all of our work with these compounds has been, and continues to be, systematic research on their fundamental physicochemical properties, research that in turn provides the basis for rational development of medical targeting strategies. Our basic research program is at the heart of our efforts to reap the translational benefits we believe these compounds offer.

This activity is represented as the box at the center of the chart shown below that shows the overall organization of our program. Radiating from our basic research component are boxes representing the principal research themes we are pursuing.

For further information about these versatile NO donors, we invite you to browse through our site.

This site was designed and created by Dr. Aloka Srinivasan (National Cancer Institute) and Mr. Brian Hanshew (Data Management Services, Inc). It is maintained by Ms. Barbara Brandys (NIH Library) and Dr. Tara Kirby (NIH Office of Technology Transfer).

This page was last updated: July 20, 2006.



		National Cancer Institute \| NCI-Center for Cancer Research \| NCI-Frederick