Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Injectable Supramolecular Polymer-Nanoparticle Hydrogels for Cell and Drug Delivery Applications
Published on: February 7, 2021
Polymer Amphiphiles for Photoregulated Anticancer Drug Delivery
Valentina Brega1, Federica Scaletti2, Xianzhi Zhang2
1Department of Chemistry , Tufts University , 62 Talbot Avenue , Medford , Massachusetts 02155 , United States.
Abstract:
We report the synthesis of amphiphilic polymers featuring lipophilic stearyl chains and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) polymers that are connected through singlet oxygen-cleavable alkoxyanthracene linkers. These amphiphilic polymers assembled in water to form micelles with diameters of ∼20 nm. Reaction of the alkoxyanthracene linkers with light and O2 cleaved the ether C-O bonds, resulting in formation of the corresponding 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives and concomitant disruption of the micelles. These micelles were loaded with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin, which was efficiently released upon photo-oxidation. The drug-loaded reactive micelles were effective at killing cancer cells in vitro upon irradiation at 365 nm, functioning through both doxorubicin release and photodynamic mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
Polymers
Polymers
Drug Delivery: Overview
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
Drug Delivery: Enteral Route
Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...

