Novel core-shell magnetic nanoparticles for Taxol encapsulation in biodegradable and biocompatible block copolymers:...

Theranostic polymeric nanocarriers loaded with anticancer drug Taxol and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals have been developed for possible magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) use and cancer therapy. Multifunctional nanocarriers with a core-shell structure have been prepared by coating superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with block copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(propylene succinate) with variable molecular weights of the hydrophobic block poly(prolylene succinate). The multifunctional polymer nano-vehicles were prepared using a nanoprecipitation method. Scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed the encapsulation of magnetic nanoparticles inside the polymeric matrix. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping allowed us to determine the presence of the different material ingredients in a quantitative way. The diameter of the nanoparticles is below 250 nm yielding satisfactory encapsulation efficiency. The nanoparticles exhibit a biphasic drug release pattern in vitro over 15 days depending on the molecular weight of the hydrophobic part of the polymer matrix. These new systems where anti-cancer therapeutics like Taxol and iron oxide nanoparticles (IOs) are co-encapsulated into new facile polymeric nanoparticles, could be addressed as potential multifunctional vehicles for simultaneous drug delivery and targeting imaging as well as real time monitoring of therapeutic effects.