Influence of the Saccharide Structure on Cargo Loading, Thermal Properties, and Lectin Binding of Amphiphilic...

Stereospecific arrangements of saccharide molecules control biological recognition and binding with proteins. These properties can also be utilized in the design of biomaterials for applications such as polymeric drug delivery, where saccharides may enhance the ability to target specific cells. Glycopolymer block copolymers incorporating pendant saccharides at high concentration have potential for use in applications; however, there is a need for further evaluation of their structure-property relationships. Accordingly, noncytotoxic amphiphilic, hybrid block copolymers (HBCs), synthesized by coupling branched polylactic acid (PLA) with linear polyacrylamides containing hydroxyethyl, β-d-glucose, or β-d-galactose moieties, were studied to determine the influence of the stereochemistry and structure of the pendant saccharide on nanoparticle formation, cargo loading, and lectin binding properties. HBCs were prepared at a target 50:50 PLA/hydrophilic block content; all compositions yielded similar spherical nanoparticle morphologies with comparable diameters on nanoprecipitation. Thermal properties and hydrophilic dye loading levels, however, were dependent on the pendant saccharide structure, attributed to differences in intramolecular interactions in the glycopolymer blocks. These findings demonstrate the importance of understanding the structure-dependent behavior for designing HBC-based therapies.