Thermo-responsive Fluorescent Nanopolymer Delivery Platform for Treatment of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a highly aggressive diffuse malignant proliferative disease of the lymphatic system. Patients usually present with progressive lymph node enlargement and/or extra-lymph node lesions and require early treatment upon diagnosis. Most of the patients are in stage III or IV at the time of diagnosis and about 40% of the patients are difficult to cure. In this study, we developed a novel drug delivery platform using poly(ε-caprolactone)-tetraphenylethylene (PCL-TPE). This fluorescent polymer, combined with a solid-state dye, exhibits temperature-dependent fluorescence. We loaded the synthesized ethyl 2-amino-4-(4-methylthiophen-2-yl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2 H-chromene-3-carboxylate (compound 1) onto PCL-TPE, creating PCL-TPE@1. By treating human lymphoma cells, we found that PCL-TPE@1 was able to effectively reduce the migratory ability of lymphoma cells by inhibiting the expression of PRMT6. This platform is easy to synthesize, offers thermo-responsive fluorescence, flexibility, and biocompatibility, making it suitable for biomedical drug delivery and smart devices.