Thermoresponsive Random Poly(ether urethanes) with Tailorable LCSTs for Anticancer Drug Delivery

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Thermoresponsive polymers offer potential for controlled drug release.
• Developing materials with tunable properties is crucial for advanced therapeutic applications.
• Polyurethanes are versatile polymers with potential for biomedical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel class of thermoresponsive random polyurethanes.
• To investigate the tunable lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of these polyurethanes.
• To evaluate their efficacy in stimuli-responsive drug delivery applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of polyurethanes via reaction of poly(ethylene glycol) diol and 2,2-dimethylolpropionic acid with isophorone diisocyanate.
• Characterization of thermoresponsive behavior in aqueous media and determination of LCST.
• Assessment of doxorubicin loading capacity using sonication/dialysis and drug release kinetics at varying temperatures.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized novel thermoresponsive random polyurethanes.
• Demonstrated tunable LCST from 30 °C to 70 °C by adjusting poly(ethylene glycol) content.
• Achieved efficient doxorubicin sequestration (up to 36 wt%) and accelerated release above LCST.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized polyurethanes exhibit sharp, tunable LCST transitions, making them suitable for stimuli-responsive applications.
• These materials show significant potential for efficient drug loading and controlled release of doxorubicin.
• The developed thermoresponsive polyurethanes represent a promising platform for advanced drug delivery systems.