Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Sustained Administration of β-cell Mitogens to Intact Mouse Islets Ex Vivo Using Biodegradable Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microspheres
Published on: November 5, 2016
Monosaccharide-responsive release of insulin from polymersomes of polyboroxole block copolymers at neutral pH
Hyunkyu Kim1, Young Ji Kang, Sebyung Kang
1School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST Road, Ulsan 689-798, Korea.
Abstract:
We synthesized a boroxole-containing styrenic monomer that can be polymerized by the reversible addition-fragmentation and chain transfer (RAFT) method. Poly(styreneboroxole) (PBOx) and its block copolymers with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a hydrophilic block displayed binding to monosaccharides in phosphate buffer at neutral pH, as quantified by Wang's competitive binding experiments. By virtue of a controlled radical polymerization, we were able to adjust the degree of polymerization of the PBOx block to yield sugar-responsive block copolymers that self-assembled into a variety of nanostructures including spherical and cylindrical micelles and polymer vesicles (polymersomes). Polymersomes of these block copolymers exhibited monosaccharide-responsive disassembly in a neutral-pH medium. We demonstrated the possibility of using these polymersomes as sugar-responsive delivery vehicles for insulin in neutral phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). Encapsulated insulin could be released from the polymersomes only in the presence of sugars under physiologically relevant pH conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Stimuli-Activated
Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers
Insulin Secretory Vesicles
Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment primarily uses...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Rate-Programmed II
Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides

