Temperature and pH dually-responsive poly(β-amino ester) nanoparticles for drug delivery

• Published in: Chinese journal of polymer science Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 534 - 546
• Main Authors: Lu, Xiao-ju, Yang, Xiang-yu, Meng, Yuan, Li, Shao-zhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Chemistry, CAS 01.04.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical materials; Block copolymers; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Drug carriers; Drug delivery systems; Drugs; Esters; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Low temperature; Micelles; MPEG encoders; Nanoparticles; Polyethylene glycol; Polymer Sciences; Polymers; Self assembly; Sensitivity; Solvents; Stimuli; Nanoparticles; pH-sensitive; Drug delivery; Temperature-sensitive
• ISSN: 0256-7679; 1439-6203
• DOI: 10.1007/s10118-017-1916-7

Stimuli-responsive polymers have undoubtedly been of great interest in the past decades due to a variety of their potential applications in biomedical territory. However, their non-degradability limits their in vivo applications. Herein, we report a novel pH and temperature dual-stimuli responsive-poly( β -amino ester). The pH/temperature sensitivities are interrelated and can be easily tuned by changing PEG-diacrylate chain length and the percentage of biamines in the feed ratio. These dual-responsive polymers are very useful in drug delivery. Reaction of methyl ether poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) and poly( β -amino ester) resulted in an amphiphilic MPEG-PBAE block copolymer which could form nanoparticles by self-assembly. A hydrophobic drug (DOX) was loaded in the self-assembled nanoparticles at low temperature without using organic solvents. The loaded drug was released very slowly and steadily at 37 °C under physiological conditions (pH 7.4), but rapidly released from the micelles in weakly acidic environments (pH 6.4 and 5.0) for intracellular drug release. Thus, these poly( β -amino ester) polymers constitute ideal drug carriers since their thermal sensitivity allows the drug loadings without using organic solvent and their pH sensitivity permits fast intracellular drug release.