A Nanoplatform with Precise Control over Release of Cargo for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

The development of a nanocarrier delivery system having both sufficient stability in blood circulation and a rapid drug release profile at target sites remains a major challenge in cancer therapy. Here, a multifunctional star-shaped micellar system with a precisely spatiotemporal control of releasing encapsulated agents is developed by mixing a photoinitiated crosslinking amphiphilic copolymer with a phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized redox-sensitive amphiphilic copolymer for the first time. The combination of the functional polymers effectively resolves the contradiction that the micellar system cannot release the rapid drug release in cells when it possesses an extreme stability that is often required in blood circulation. In this system, the inner core polymers are photo-crosslinked, endowing a stable micelle matrix structure; the end groups of the hydrophilic segments are decorated with PBA ligands, providing an active targeting ability; disulfide bonds in the micellar matrix impart a redox-responsive trigger for the prompt intracellular release of drugs. As a result, with a relatively low DOX dosage (2 mg kg(-1) per injection) the in vivo antitumor effect on H22-bearing BALB/c mice shows that the micelles have a high therapeutic efficacy against solid tumors while minimal side effects against normal tissues.