Cell Internalizable and Intracellularly Degradable Cationic Polyurethane Micelles as a Potential Platform for Efficient Imaging and Drug Delivery

• Published in: Biomacromolecules Vol. 15; no. 8; pp. 2896 - 2906
• Main Authors: Ding, Mingming, Zeng, Xin, He, Xueling, Li, Jiehua, Tan, Hong, Fu, Qiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 11.08.2014
• Subjects: ammonium; Animals; antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Agents - chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line, Tumor; Contrast Media - chemistry; Contrast Media - pharmacology; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug Carriers - pharmacology; Exact sciences and technology; Ferric Compounds - chemistry; Ferric Compounds - pharmacology; General pharmacology; glutathione; image analysis; iron oxides; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Micelles; monitoring; nanocarriers; nanoparticles; neoplasm cells; Organic polymers; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular properties; polyurethanes; Polyurethanes - chemistry; Polyurethanes - pharmacology; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Iron oxide; Molecular structure; Nanoparticle; Quaternary ammonium copolymer; Drug carrier; Nanoencapsulation; Polyaddition; Chemical reduction; Organic disulfide; Magnetite; Spin spin relaxation; Tumor cell; Magnetic properties; Amphiphilic polymer; Control release polymer; Chemical degradation; Intracellular space; Experimental study; Dimension spectrum; Urethane copolymer; Sulfur copolymer; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; In vitro; Functional polymer; Theranostics; Magnetization curve; Magnetic particles; Multiblock copolymer; Internalization; Preparation; Aqueous solution; Micellar solution
• ISSN: 1525-7797; 1526-4602; 1526-4602
• DOI: 10.1021/bm500506v

A cell internalizable and intracellularly degradable micellar system, assembled from multiblock polyurethanes bearing cell-penetrating gemini quaternary ammonium pendent groups in the side chain and redox-responsive disulfide linkages throughout the backbone, was developed for potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and drug delivery. The nanocarrier is featured as a typical “cleavable core–internalizable shell–protective corona” architecture, which exhibits small size, positive surface charge, high loading capacity, and reduction-triggered destabilization. Furthermore, it can rapidly enter tumor cells and release its cargo in response to an intracellular level of glutathione, resulting in enhanced drug efficacy in vitro. The magnetic micelles loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles demonstrate excellent MRI contrast enhancement, with T 2 relaxivity found to be affected by the morphology of SPIO-clustering inside the micelle core. The multifunctional carrier with good cytocompatibility and nontoxic degradation products can serve as a promising theranostic candidate for efficient intracellular delivery of anticancer drugs and real-time monitoring of therapeutic effect.