1 research outputs found
Star-Shaped Drug Carriers for Doxorubicin with POEGMA and POEtOxMA Brush-like Shells: A Structural, Physical, and Biological Comparison
The
synthesis of amphiphilic star-shaped poly(ε-caprolactone)-<i>block</i>-poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)methacrylate)s ([PCL<sub>18</sub>-<i>b</i>-POEGMA]<sub>4</sub>) and poly(ε-caprolactone)-<i>block</i>-poly(oligo(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)methacrylate)s ([PCL<sub>18</sub>-<i>b</i>-POEtOxMA]<sub>4</sub>) is presented.
Unimolecular behavior in aqueous systems is observed with the tendency
to form loose aggregates for both hydrophilic shell types. The comparison
of OEGMA and OEtOxMA reveals that the molar mass of the macromonomer
in the hydrophilic shell rather than the mere length is the crucial
factor to form an efficiently stabilizing hydrophilic shell. A hydrophilic/lipophilic
balance of 0.8 is shown to stabilize unimolecular micelles in water.
An extensive in vitro biological evaluation shows neither blood nor
cytotoxicity. The applicability of the polymers as drug delivery systems
was proven by the encapsulation of the anticancer drug doxorubicin,
whose cytotoxic effect was retarded in comparison to the free drug