Journal
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
Volume 10, Issue 2, Pages 192-201Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/mabi.200900229
Keywords
block copolymers; drug delivery; nanoparticles; ortho ester; pH responsive
Funding
- NIH [R01CA129189]
- Wallace H. Coulter Foundation (Early Career Translational Research Award)
- NSF [BES 0547613]
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A new type of pH-responsive block copolymer nanoparticle has been synthesized and characterized. The amphiphilic diblock copolymer, PEG-b-PMYM, contains acid-labile ortho ester side-chains in the hydrophobic block and can self-assemble into micelle-like nanoparticles in water at neutral pH. Hydrolysis of the ortho ester side-chains follows a distinct exocyclic mechanism and shows pH-dependent kinetics, which triggers changes in nanoparticle size and morphology. The nanoparticles have been found to be non-toxic to cells in vitro. The ability to tune the size and morphology of biocompatible block copolymer nanoparticles by controlling the pH-sensitive side-chain hydrolysis represents a unique approach that may be exploited to improve the efficacy of nanometer-scale drug delivery.
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