Solution behavior and encapsulation properties of fatty acid-elastin-like polypeptide conjugates.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Biomaterials are crucial for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and drug delivery.
• Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are promising due to their bio-sourced, biocompatible, and biodegradable nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize ELP-fatty acid conjugates for drug delivery applications.
• To investigate the micelle formation and stability of these conjugates.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of 15 acyl-ELP compounds by conjugating fatty acids (myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic) to ELPs of varying molar masses.
• Characterization of micelle formation, critical micelle concentration, and micelle size.
• Evaluation of encapsulation efficiency and release kinetics of Nile red.

Main Results:

• Acyl-ELP conjugates form micelles below their cloud point temperature (Tcp) and aggregate above it.
• Micelle formation and size are influenced by fatty acid type and ELP block length.
• Optimal encapsulation and release of hydrophobic molecules were achieved with larger ELPs conjugated to stearic acid.

Conclusions:

• ELP-fatty acid conjugates form stable micelles suitable for drug delivery.
• The properties of these micelles can be tailored by modifying the ELP and fatty acid components.
• Stearic acid-conjugated ELPs demonstrate superior loading of hydrophobic drugs.