Self-assembling polymeric micelles with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic corona have become increasingly useful as carriers of hydrophobic drug molecules. With their high biocompatibility, stability, and extended circulation time, they possess extremely attractive qualities for extended drug delivery. We have designed a series of amphiphilic scorpion-like macromolecules (AScMs) that possess such qualities. The hydrophobic portion of the unimer is formed by a mucic acid backbone functionalized with four alkyl units, which are chemically linked by hydrolytically degradable ester bonds. The hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) portion of the unimer is, like the alkyl chains, attached to the mucic acid backbone via a degradable ester bond. At concentrations as low as 10~(-7) M, the unimers self-assemble to form micelles with a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona (Figure 1) ranging from 15-20 nm in size. They are non-cytotoxic and have been shown to quickly reach the nucleus of cells. These micelles have already been reported for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs, such as indomethacin, and the selective targeting of receptors responsible for the uptake of low density lipoproteins (LDL) into macrophages.
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