Polymer Chelator Prepared via the Kabachnik–Fields Reaction for the In Vivo Prevention of Heavy-Metal Damage

Heavy-metal poisoning is a global concern; therefore, safe and efficient chelators against acute and chronic heavy-metal poisoning are vital for public health. Here we developed a strategy to explore polymer chelators for heavy-metal poisoning by combining the Kabachnik-Fields reaction and polymer chemistry. A water-soluble polymer with considerable metal-chelating ability and antioxidant capability was obtained. During in vivo experiments, this polymer effectively prevented acute and chronic cadmium poisoning in mice for which there is no efficient antidote; the prevention effect was significantly superior to clinically available drugs, 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid sodium salt and calcium disodium edetate. Detailed studies revealed that the advantages of this polymer chelator originate from its excellent safety and long metabolic life. This study explored functional polymers via a multicomponent reaction and yielded a polymer chelator for preventing heavy-metal poisoning, which provides underlying insights to guide the design of polymer materials for in vivo applications.