Disulfide bond bridge insertion turns hydrophobic anticancer prodrugs into self-assembled nanomedicines

It is commonly observed that hydrophobic molecules alone cannot self-assemble into stable nanoparticles, requiring amphiphilic or ionic materials to support nanoparticle stability and function in vivo. We report herein newly self-assembled nanomedicines through entirely different mechanisms. We present proof-of-concept methodology and results in support of our hypothesis that disulfide-induced nanomedicines (DSINMs) are promoted and stabilized by the insertion of a single disulfide bond into hydrophobic molecules, in order to balance the competition between intermolecular forces involved in the self-assembly of nanomedicines. This hypothesis has been explored through diverse synthetic compounds, which include four first-line chemotherapy drugs (paclitaxel, doxorubicin, fluorouracil, and gemcitabine), two small-molecule natural products and their derivatives, as well as a fluorescent probe. Such an unprecedented and highly reproducible system has the potential to serve as a synthetic platform for a wide array of safe and effective therapeutic and diagnostic nanomedicine strategies.