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Tuning the Properties of Polymer Capsules for Cellular Interactions
Huanli Sun1, Jiwei Cui1, Yi Ju1
1ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, and ‡the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Melbourne , Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Bioconjugate Chemistry
|May 27, 2017
Summary
Researchers created polymer capsules with tailored properties using a novel technique. These capsules demonstrated distinct cellular interactions, including low fouling and specific cell targeting, paving the way for advanced biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Particle-cell interactions are crucial in biological systems and are influenced by particle composition and surface characteristics.
- Developing methods to control these interactions is essential for applications in drug delivery, diagnostics, and tissue engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize polymer capsules with diverse compositions and properties using continuous assembly of polymers via atom transfer radical polymerization (CAPATRP).
- To investigate the cellular interactions, specifically fouling and targeting, of these synthesized polymer capsules.
- To evaluate the efficacy of the CAPATRP technique in producing polymer capsules with tunable cellular interaction profiles.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of polymer capsules using CAPATRP with various macro-cross-linkers: acrylated eight-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (8-PEG), poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methacrylamide) (PHPMA), methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HA), poly(glutamic acid) (PGA), and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA).
- Assessment of cellular interactions, including fouling and specific targeting, using flow cytometry and deconvolution microscopy.
- Testing interactions with various cell lines: macrophage Raw 264.7, monocyte THP-1, HeLa, BT474, and MDA-MB-231.
Main Results:
- Polymer capsules made from PEG and PHPMA exhibited negligible association with macrophage, monocyte, and HeLa cells, indicating low fouling properties.
- HA capsules showed moderate low-fouling characteristics but demonstrated high targeting specificity towards CD44-over-expressing MDA-MB-231 cancer cells.
- PGA and PMA capsules displayed significant cellular association with phagocytic Raw 264.7 and THP-1 cells.
Conclusions:
- The CAPATRP technique is effective in fabricating polymer capsules with distinct and controllable surface properties.
- The composition of polymer capsules significantly dictates their interaction profile with different cell types, enabling selective targeting or low fouling.
- This study highlights the potential of CAPATRP-derived polymer capsules for applications requiring specific cellular interactions.
