Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical Applications

Due to a strong retardation effect of o-nitrobenzyl ester on polymerization, it is still a great challenge to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers for polymersomes with a o-nitrobenzyl ester-based hydrophobic block. Herein, we present one such solution to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers with pu...

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Main Authors: Wanting Hou, Ruiqi Liu, Siwei Bi, Qian He, Haibo Wang, Jun Gu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/21/5147
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author Wanting Hou
Ruiqi Liu
Siwei Bi
Qian He
Haibo Wang
Jun Gu
author_facet Wanting Hou
Ruiqi Liu
Siwei Bi
Qian He
Haibo Wang
Jun Gu
author_sort Wanting Hou
collection DOAJ
description Due to a strong retardation effect of o-nitrobenzyl ester on polymerization, it is still a great challenge to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers for polymersomes with a o-nitrobenzyl ester-based hydrophobic block. Herein, we present one such solution to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers with pure poly (o-nitrobenzyl acrylate) (PNBA) as the hydrophobic block and poly (<i>N,N’</i>-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) as the hydrophilic block using bulk reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of o-nitrobenzyl acrylate using a PDMA macro-RAFT agent. The developed amphiphilic block copolymers have a suitable hydrophobic/hydrophilic ratio and can self-assemble into photoresponsive polymersomes for co-loading hydrophobic and hydrophilic cargos into hydrophobic membranes and aqueous compartments of the polymersomes. The polymersomes demonstrate a clear photo-responsive characteristic. Exposure to light irradiation at 365 nm can trigger a photocleavage reaction of o-nitrobenzyl groups, which results in dissociation of the polymersomes with simultaneous co-release of hydrophilic and hydrophobic cargoes on demand. Therefore, these polymersomes have great potential as a smart drug delivery nanocarrier for controllable loading and releasing of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug molecules. Moreover, taking advantage of the conditional releasing of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, the drug delivery system has potential use in medical applications such as cancer therapy.
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spelling doaj.art-3abf1081feb24dd0939a2ecaeb412e162023-11-20T19:53:36ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492020-11-012521514710.3390/molecules25215147Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical ApplicationsWanting Hou0Ruiqi Liu1Siwei Bi2Qian He3Haibo Wang4Jun Gu5Department of Medical Oncology Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Burn and Plastic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Emergency, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, ChinaCollege of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, ChinaDue to a strong retardation effect of o-nitrobenzyl ester on polymerization, it is still a great challenge to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers for polymersomes with a o-nitrobenzyl ester-based hydrophobic block. Herein, we present one such solution to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers with pure poly (o-nitrobenzyl acrylate) (PNBA) as the hydrophobic block and poly (<i>N,N’</i>-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) as the hydrophilic block using bulk reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of o-nitrobenzyl acrylate using a PDMA macro-RAFT agent. The developed amphiphilic block copolymers have a suitable hydrophobic/hydrophilic ratio and can self-assemble into photoresponsive polymersomes for co-loading hydrophobic and hydrophilic cargos into hydrophobic membranes and aqueous compartments of the polymersomes. The polymersomes demonstrate a clear photo-responsive characteristic. Exposure to light irradiation at 365 nm can trigger a photocleavage reaction of o-nitrobenzyl groups, which results in dissociation of the polymersomes with simultaneous co-release of hydrophilic and hydrophobic cargoes on demand. Therefore, these polymersomes have great potential as a smart drug delivery nanocarrier for controllable loading and releasing of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug molecules. Moreover, taking advantage of the conditional releasing of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, the drug delivery system has potential use in medical applications such as cancer therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/21/5147photo-responsive polymersomeshydrophilic drugshydrophobic drugs
spellingShingle Wanting Hou
Ruiqi Liu
Siwei Bi
Qian He
Haibo Wang
Jun Gu
Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical Applications
Molecules
photo-responsive polymersomes
hydrophilic drugs
hydrophobic drugs
title Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical Applications
title_full Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical Applications
title_fullStr Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical Applications
title_full_unstemmed Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical Applications
title_short Photo-Responsive Polymersomes as Drug Delivery System for Potential Medical Applications
title_sort photo responsive polymersomes as drug delivery system for potential medical applications
topic photo-responsive polymersomes
hydrophilic drugs
hydrophobic drugs
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/21/5147
work_keys_str_mv AT wantinghou photoresponsivepolymersomesasdrugdeliverysystemforpotentialmedicalapplications
AT ruiqiliu photoresponsivepolymersomesasdrugdeliverysystemforpotentialmedicalapplications
AT siweibi photoresponsivepolymersomesasdrugdeliverysystemforpotentialmedicalapplications
AT qianhe photoresponsivepolymersomesasdrugdeliverysystemforpotentialmedicalapplications
AT haibowang photoresponsivepolymersomesasdrugdeliverysystemforpotentialmedicalapplications
AT jungu photoresponsivepolymersomesasdrugdeliverysystemforpotentialmedicalapplications