Engineering single-layered poly(amidoamine) dendrimer microcapsules for enhanced cellular uptake.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Microcapsules are promising drug carriers with cellular uptake influenced by physicochemical properties.
• Limited studies comprehensively investigate the impact of microcapsule thickness and shape on cellular internalization.
• Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers offer tunable properties for microcapsule development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop single-layered PAMAM dendrimer microcapsules with controlled thickness and morphology.
• To systematically investigate the effects of microcapsule thickness and shape on cellular uptake.
• To explore the potential of these microcapsules for practical drug delivery applications.

Main Methods:

• PAMAM dendrimer microcapsules (G2-G8) were synthesized with wall thicknesses ranging from 19.3-53.7 nm.
• Microcapsule shapes were controlled using CaCO3 templates (spherical, peanut-like, dumbbell-like).
• Cellular uptake studies were conducted using DC2.4 cells to evaluate internalization efficiency.

Main Results:

• Cellular uptake demonstrated significant thickness- and shape-dependent trends.
• Spherical microcapsules with a thickness of 43.5 nm (OPC/PAMAM-G6) showed higher internalization.
• Dumbbell-like microcapsules exhibited superior uptake kinetics and biocompatibility compared to other shapes.

Conclusions:

• PAMAM microcapsules offer structural diversity and functional versatility for drug delivery.
• Tunable thickness and morphology significantly influence cellular internalization efficiency.
• A simple, universal method for preparing polyphenol/polymer microcapsules was proposed for practical applications.