Title:

Evaluation of Iron Chelators for the Prevention of Fenton Chemistry

Poster

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Abstract

Intracellular free iron catalyzes hydroxyl radical (•OH) formation via Fenton-like reactions, contributing to oxidative stress and diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration, and cardiovascular disease. Iron chelators represent a promising therapeutic strategy for limiting •OH production, though evaluating their effectiveness requires reliable assays that approximate intracellular conditions. Here we report the evaluation of three iron chelators — Propox, OHQ, and EDTA — using the deoxyribose assay, a colorimetric method in which absorbance at 532 nm serves as a measure of •OH production. Propox demonstrated significantly greater inhibition of •OH production than both OHQ and the EDTA control, establishing it as a strong therapeutic candidate. To probe the mechanism of iron-catalyzed •OH production, we validated the azide assay as a reliable method for detecting open coordination sites in iron-chelator complexes. Ongoing work in the Planalp Lab is focused on developing water-soluble Propox derivatives to enable conclusive azide assay results and improve therapeutic viability.

Authors

First Name Last Name
Alex Fitzgerald

Advisors:

Full Name
Dr. Roy Planalp

File Count: 1


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Submission Details

Conference URC
Event Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE)
Department Chemistry (ISE)
Group Chemistry Research
Added April 20, 2026, 3:40 p.m.
Updated April 20, 2026, 3:41 p.m.
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