Photo-inducible crosslinked nanoassemblies for pH-controlled drug release

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Block copolymer nanoassemblies offer potential for controlled drug delivery.
• Modulating nanoassembly properties is key to optimizing therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To control drug release from block copolymer nanoassemblies.
• To investigate the impact of photo-crosslinking degree and acid-sensitive linkers on drug release kinetics.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(aspartate-hydrazide-cinnamate) (PEG-CNM) block copolymers.
• Conjugation of doxorubicin (DOX) via acid-sensitive hydrazone linkers.
• Formation of photo-inducible crosslinked nanoassemblies (piCNAs) using UV crosslinking.
• Characterization of particle size, surface charge, pH-dependent DOX release, cytotoxicity, and cellular uptake.

Main Results:

• Nanoassemblies with varying photo-crosslinking degrees were successfully prepared, maintaining particle size and surface charge.
• Photo-crosslinking modulated DOX release at pH 6.0 but not at pH 7.4.
• Cytotoxicity was similar across different crosslinking degrees, potentially due to limited cellular uptake.

Conclusions:

• Photo-crosslinking effectively controls drug release from pH-sensitive block copolymer nanoassemblies.
• This control is achieved without altering fundamental particle properties.
• These findings provide valuable tools for studying drug release effects on cellular responses.