Well-defined pH-responsive triblock glycopolymer architectures for controlled loading and release doxorubicin

摘要

To explore drug loading and release behavior of pH-responsive block glycopolymers used as an anticancer drug delivery carriers, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(2-(diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(2-gluconamidoethyl methacrylate) (PEG1_(13)-b-PDEA_(41)-b-PGAMA_(34)), was synthesized via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) by polymerized poly (2-gluconamidoethyl methacrylate) (GAMA) and 2-(diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DEA) monomers using a poly(ethylene glycol)-based (PEG-based) macroinitiator without protecting group chemistry. proton nuclear magnetic resonance ('H NMR) and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) were used to characterize their structures, their self-assembly behaviors and drug loading and release behavior of Doxorubicin (DOX) as the model of an anticancer drug were further investigated in detailed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), zeta-potential, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis). The results show glycopolymers self-assembly into micelles at basic conditions and dissociate to be unimers at acidic conditions, this pH-responsiveness endows block glycopolymer to possess the ability to load the DOX at physiological condition (pH 7.4) and smart release at mimicking tumor acidic environments (pH 5.5), however, the glycopolymer at pH 5.5 Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) released medium possesses faster drug release profile compared with the released medium at pH 7.4 PBS. This study provides a promising light for designing novel drug delivery carrier for potential applications in cancer chemotherapy.