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A Facile and Efficient Approach for the Production of Reversible Disulfide Cross-linked Micelles
Published on: December 23, 2016
Redox-sensitive shell-crosslinked polypeptide-block-polysaccharide micelles for efficient intracellular anticancer
Aiping Zhang1, Zhe Zhang, Fenghua Shi
1Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|July 11, 2013
Summary
Novel redox-responsive self-assembling copolymers (SCMs) deliver drugs effectively inside cells. These biocompatible SCMs release their payload in response to intracellular reductive environments, enhancing cancer cell inhibition.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Developing biocompatible materials for targeted intracellular drug delivery is crucial.
- Redox-responsive systems offer precise control over drug release within specific cellular environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel redox-responsive self-assembling copolymers (SCMs).
- To evaluate the efficiency of these SCMs for intracellular delivery of doxorubicin (DOX).
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of amphiphilic poly(benzyl glutamate)-b-dextran copolymers.
- Characterization using NMR, FT-IR, TEM, and DLS.
- In vitro drug release studies and cellular assays (MTT) on HeLa and HepG2 cells.
Main Results:
- SCMs demonstrated biocompatibility and responsiveness to reductive environments (GSH).
- Disulfide bond cleavage in SCMs led to increased hydrodynamic radius in PBS.
- DOX-loaded SCMs exhibited faster drug release under simulated intracellular reductive conditions.
- DOX-loaded SCMs significantly enhanced cellular proliferation inhibition in pretreated cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- Redox-responsive SCMs based on PBLG-b-dextran are effective for intracellular drug delivery.
- These SCMs show potential for enhanced chemotherapeutic efficacy in cancer treatment.
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