Syntheses of amphiphilic biodegradable copolymers of poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) for drug delivery

Biodegradable and amphiphilic triblock copolymers poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate)-poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate)-poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) (PEEP-b-PHB-b-PEEP) have been successfully synthesized through ring-opening polymerization. The structures are confirmed by gel permeation chromatography and NMR analyses. Crystallization investigated by X-ray diffraction reveals that the block copolymer with higher content of poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) (PEEP) is more amorphous, showing decreased crystallizability. The obtained copolymers self-assemble into biodegradable nanoparticles with a core-shell micellar structure in aqueous solution, verified by the probe-based fluorescence measurements and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) observation. The hydrophobic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) block serves as the core of the micelles and the micelles are stabilized by the hydrophilic PEEP block. The size and size distribution are related to the compositions of the copolymers. Paclitaxel (PTX) has been encapsulated into the micelles as a model drug and a sustained drug release from the micelles is observed. MTT assay also demonstrates that the block copolymers are biocompatible, rendering these copolymers attractive for drug delivery. Supported by the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No.20060358036)     

Amphiphilic comb-like polymers based on poly(oxyethylene)s as drug-delivery carriers

Comb-like polymers with biocompatible oxyethylene backbones and amphiphilic side groups were synthesized via polymer-analogous reactions. Using these polymers, indomethacin-loaded polymeric micelles were fabricated with various drug-to-polymer weight ratios using the oil-in-water emulsion technique. In addition, the size, size distribution, CMC, drug-loading content, and entrapment efficiency of the polymeric micelles were analyzed. The volume-weighted diameters of polymeric micelles ranged from 10 to 140 nm and were narrowly distributed for passive targeting drug delivery. The CMCs were lower (approximately 10(-8) M) than for conventional surfactants and block copolymers.     

Synthesis and in vitro characterization of semitelechelic poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide]-trastuzumab conjugates targeted to breast cancer

Trastuzumab (TRZ) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the extracellular domain of the human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (Her2). Semitelechelic (ST) poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide]-TRZ conjugates are successfully synthesized and evaluated as a potential drug delivery system that actively targets Her2-overexpressing cancer cells. The ST backbone shows favorable characteristics when conjugated to TRZ. The conjugate exhibits comparable and prolonged anticancer activity when compared to free TRZ in Her2 overexpressing breast cancer cell lines.     

Synthesis and characterization of star oligo/poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)s containing cholic acid moieties

Star oligo/poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)s containing cholic acid moieties were synthesized through the ring‐opening polymerization of 2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate (DTC) initiated by cholic acid with hydroxyl groups. Through the control of the feed ratio of the initiator cholic acid to the monomer DTC, a series of star oligomers/polymers with different molecular weights were obtained. The star oligomers/polymers were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, combined size exclusion chromatography/multi‐angle laser light scattering analysis, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, polarizing light microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Compared with linear poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate), these star oligo/poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)s had much faster hydrolytic degradation rates. With one of the star oligomers/polymers, a microsphere drug‐delivery system of a submicrometer size was fabricated with a very convenient ultrasonic dispersion method that did not involve toxic organic solvents. The in vitro drug release was studied. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6688‐6696, 2006     

Design, synthesis and characterization of novel biodegradable macrodiols based on poly（DL-lactic acid） and poly（p-dioxanone）

Integrating poly(lactic acid)(PLA),glycolic acid(GA) and ethylene glycol(EG) will hopefully result in a novel copolymer that combines such advantages as fastened and controllable release rate and improved flexibility together with good biocompatibility.In this study,p-dioxanone(PDO) was employed to copolymerize with DL-lactide(LA) via ring-opening melt polymerization using Sn(Oct)_2 as an initiator and ethylene glycol as a co-initiator.The obtained degradable macrodiols(HO-P(LA-co-PDO)-OH) were just such...     

Quinone-amine polymers. XV. Syntheses and characterization of high-temperature resistant poly(arylamino-quinone)s

Several poly(arylamino-quinone)s (PAAQs) were prepared by the conventional solution polymerization of p-benzoquinone with various aromatic diamines in tetrahydrofuran. Polymers prepared by this method were found to be more soluble in many organic solvents compared to the PAAQs prepared by other reported methods. The poly(arylamino-quinone)s were obtained in 82.3–94.5% yield and had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.073–0.251 dL/g. Among the PAAQs, the polymer prepared from p-benzoquinone and 1,3-bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzene (APB) had demonstrated exceptionally good solubility and thermal stability. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Gelation characteristics and applications of poly(ethylene glycol) end capped with hydrophobic biodegradable dipeptides

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) end capped with biodegradable hydrophobic dipeptides shows versatile gelation behavior in a wide range of aqueous and organic solvents. This gelation characteristic is attributed to the aggregation of polymer chains induced by dipeptide end groups. Both PEG molecular weight and molecular structure of end groups control this aggregation by striking a balance between two opposing molecular interactions: solubility of the PEG segment which tends to dissolve the polymer while hydrophobic and intermolecular noncovalent interactions between the end groups induce aggregation. Morphologically, this aggregated structure forms interpenetrating nano sheets with characteristic microstructural features. These gels are biodegradable and possess physicomechanical characteristics suitable for biomedical applications. Furthermore, proteins and hydrophobic model drugs can be encapsulated within the gels from aqueous and organic solvents, respectively, and can be released in a controlled fashion which indicates the applicability of the gels as drug delivery vehicles. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1917–1928     

Synthesis and characterization of novel biodegradable poly(ester amide) with ether linkage in the backbone chain

A series of biodegradable poly(ester amide)s having ether linkages in the main chain were synthesized by ring‐opening copolymerization of 3‐morpholinone (M) and ε‐caprolactone (CL) in bulk with stannous octoate, aluminium isopropoxide, or aluminium isobutoxide as an initiator. The influence of reaction conditions such as polymerization temperature, polymerization time, initiator, and initiator concentration on the monomer conversion and molecular weight are investigated. The comonomer reactivity ratios were determined (M 0.74 and CL 1.28). The water absorption of the polymers increased with increasing M content. In vitro degradation data and the release profiles of 5‐Fluorouracil showed that both the degradation rate and drug‐release rate increase with an enhanced M content in the copolymers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4550–4555, 2002     

In vitro enzymatic degradation of nanoparticles prepared from hydrophobically-modified poly(gamma-glutamic acid)

Amphiphilic poly(gamma-glutamic acid) (gamma-PGA) was prepared by the introduction of L-phenylalanine ethylester (L-PAE) as a side chain. This gamma-PGA-graft-L-PAE formed monodispersed nanoparticles in water. The particle size of the gamma-PGA nanoparticles could be controlled by the degree of L-PAE grafting. The hydrolytic degradation and enzymatic degradation by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) of these gamma-PGA nanoparticles was studied by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hydrolysis ratio of gamma-PGA was found to decrease upon increasing the hydrophilicity of the gamma-PGA. The degradation of the gamma-PGA backbone by gamma-GTP resulted in a dramatic change in nanoparticle morphology. With increasing time, the gamma-PGA nanoparticles reduced in size and finally disappeared completely.Time-course of the changes in the morphology of the gamma-PGA nanoparticles following incubation with gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.     

Synthesis and aggregation of poly(valine)‐poly (ethylene glycol) block copolymers

The solubility nature of many medicines presents a challenge for successful delivery of these drugs to the body. Polymeric carriers are potentially viable as vessels for both the protection and transport of these medicinal substances. In an effort to generate polymeric materials for this desired application, A‐B‐A triblock copolymers have been synthesized with a central block composed of hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and flanking hydrophobic sequences composed of five valine units terminated with end groups of varying hydrophobicity. These copolymers were constructed by adding amino acids stepwise to the hydrophilic block using solution phase chemistry. The self‐assembly behavior of all polymers was investigated using fluorimetry with a pyrene probe. In general, copolymers with more hydrophobic end groups exhibited lower critical aggregation concentrations (CACs). Fmoc‐terminated copolymers displayed the lowest CAC of 0.032 mg/mL and demonstrated little cytotoxicity when exposed to SW620 colorectal cancer cells. Transmission electron micrographs show the presence of multiple compartments within these spherical assemblies, which may prove useful in encapsulating medicinal substances. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5381–5389, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable poly(L-aspartic acid-co-PEG)

The melt polycondensation reaction of the prepolymer prepared from N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L -aspartic acid anhydride (N-CBz-L -aspartic acid anhydride) and low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) using titanium isopropoxide (TIP) as a catalyst produced the new biodegradable poly(L -aspartic acid-co-PEG). This new copolymer had pendant amine functional groups along the polymer backbone chain. The optimal reaction conditions for the preparation of the prepolymer were obtained by using a 0.12 mol % of p-toluenesulfonic acid with PEG 200 for 48 h. The weight-average molecular weight of the prepolymer increased from 1,290 to 31,700 upon melt polycondensation for 6 h at 130°C under vacuum using 0.5 wt % TIP as a catalyst. The synthesized monomer, prepolymer, and copolymer were characterized by FTIR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, and UV spectrophotometers. Thermal properties of the prepolymer and the protected copolymer were measured by DSC. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of the prepolymer shifted to a significantly higher temperature with increasing molecular weight via melt polycondensation reaction, and no melting temperature was observed. The in vitro hydrolytic degradation of these poly(L -aspartic acid-co-PEG) was measured in terms of molecular weight loss at different times and pHs at 37°C. This pH-dependent molecular weight loss was due to a simple hydrolysis of the backbone ester linkages and was characterized by more rapid rates of hydrolysis at an alkaline pH. These new biodegradable poly(L -aspartic acid-co-PEG)s may have potential applications in the biomedical field. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2949–2959, 1998     

Amphiphilic cationic [dendritic poly(L-lysine)]-block-poly(L-lactide)-block-[dendritic poly(L-lysine)]s in aqueous solution: self-aggregation and interaction with DNA as gene delivery carriers

A new series of triblock [dendritic poly(L-lysine)]-block-PLLA-block-[dendritic poly(L-lysine)]s (DL(2) -PLLA-DL(2) ) with PLLA block lengths of 11.5-26.5 and double 2-generation PLL dendrons DL(2) as model cationic amphiphiles were synthesized and characterized. Their CAC, self-aggregation and plasmid DNA binding affinities in pure water and PBS were studied. The PLLA block length dependence of particle size, morphology and ξ potential for organized pDNA/amphiphile polyplex aggregates were examined. Finally, toxicities of these DL(2) -PLLA-DL(2) amphiphiles and their polyplexes were assayed by MTT with HeLa, SMMC-7721 and COS-7 cells, and COS-7 cell luciferase and eGFP gene transfection efficacies with these amphiphiles as the delivery carriers were investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel biodegradable unsaturated poly(ester amide)s

A series of novel biodegradable unsaturated poly(ester amide)s (UPEAs) were synthesized through the solution polycondensation of two unsaturated monomers, di‐p‐nitrophenyl fumarate and L ‐phenylalanine 2‐butene‐1,4‐diol diester p‐toluene sulfonate, and four other saturated monomers in different combinations. The UPEAs were obtained in fairly good yields with N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMA) as the solvent. The number‐average and weight‐average molecular weights of the UPEAs, measured by gel permeation chromatography, ranged from 10 to 30 kg/mol, they had a rather narrow molecular weight distribution of 1.40. The chemical structures of the novel biodegradable UPEAs were confirmed by both IR and NMR spectra. The UPEAs had higher glass‐transition temperatures than saturated PEAs of similar structures, and their glass‐transition temperatures were affected more by the CC double bond located in the diamide part than by those in the diester part. The solubility of the polymers was poor in water but better in DMA and dimethyl sulfoxide. With the availability of these inherent CC double bonds in the UPEA backbones, these UPEAs have the functionality of CC bonds, such as photochemical reactivity or the ability to react with or be modified by other bioactive or other environmentally sensitive compounds, and this can easily extend their applications to biomedical and pharmaceutical areas. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1463–1477, 2005     

Poly(ester anhydride)s prepared by the insertion of ricinoleic acid into poly(sebacic acid)

New degradable poly(ester anhydride)s were prepared by the melt polycondensation of diacid oligomers of poly(sebacic acid) (PSA) transesterified with ricinoleic acid. The transesterification of PSA with ricinoleic acid to form oligomers was conducted via a melt bulk reaction between a high molecular weight PSA and ricinoleic acid. A systematic study on the synthesis, characterization, degradation in vitro, drug release, and stability of these polymers was performed. Polymers with weight‐average molecular weights of 2000–60,000 and melting temperatures of 24–77 °C were obtained for PSA containing 20–90% (w/w) ricinoleic acid. NMR and IR analyses indicated the formation of ester bonds along the polyanhydride backbone. These new degradable copolymers have potential use as drug carriers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1059–1069, 2003     

Synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol)/polypeptide/poly(D,L‐lactide) copolymers and their nanoparticles

Core‐shell structured nanoparticles of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/polypeptide/poly(D ,L ‐lactide) (PLA) copolymers were prepared and their properties were investigated. The copolymers had a poly(L ‐serine) or poly(L ‐phenylalanine) block as a linker between a hydrophilic PEG and a hydrophobic PLA unit. They formed core‐shell structured nanoparticles, where the polypeptide block resided at the interface between a hydrophilic PEG shell and a hydrophobic PLA core. In the synthesis, poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L ‐serine) (PEG‐PSER) was prepared by ring opening polymerization of N‐carboxyanhydride of O‐(tert‐butyl)‐L ‐serine and subsequent removal of tert‐butyl groups. Poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L ‐phenylalanine) (PEG‐PPA) was obtained by ring opening polymerization of N‐carboxyanhydride of L ‐phenylalanine. Methoxy‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐amine with a MW of 5000 was used as an initiator for both polymerizations. The polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide by initiation with PEG‐PSER and PEG‐PPA produced a comb‐like copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐[poly(L ‐serine)‐g‐poly(D ,L ‐lactide)] (PEG‐PSER‐PLA) and a linear copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L ‐phenylalanine)‐b‐poly(D ,L ‐lactide) (PEG‐PPA‐PLA), respectively. The nanoparticles obtained from PEG‐PPA‐PLA showed a negative zeta potential value of ?16.6 mV, while those of PEG‐PSER‐PLA exhibited a positive value of about 19.3 mV. In pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution at 36 °C, the nanoparticles of PEG/polypeptide/PLA copolymers showed much better stability than those of a linear PEG‐PLA copolymer having a comparable molecular weight. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Tailor-made poly(amidoamine)s for controlled complexation and condensation of DNA

A set of polymer carriers for DNA delivery was synthesized by combining monodisperse, sequence-defined poly(amidoamine) (PAA) segments with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks. The precise definition of the PAA segments provides the possibility of correlating the chemical structure (monomer sequence) with the resulting biological properties. Three different PAA-PEO conjugates were synthesized by solid-phase supported synthesis, and the cationic nature of the PAA segments was systematically varied. This allows for the tailoring of interactions with double-stranded plasmid DNA (dsDNA). The potential of the PAA-PEO conjugates as non-viral vectors for gene delivery is demonstrated by investigating the dsDNA complexation and condensation properties. Depending on the applied carrier, a transition in polyplex (polymer-DNA ion complex) structures is observed. This reaches from extended ring-like structures to highly compact toroidal structures, where supercoiling of the DNA is induced. An aggregation model is proposed that is based on structural investigations of the polyplexes with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). While the cationic PAA segment mediates primarily the contact of the carrier to the dsDNA, the PEO block stabilizes the polyplex and generates a "stealth" aggregate, as was suggested by Zeta potentials that were close to zero. The controlled aggregation leads to stable, single-plasmid complexes, and stabilizes the DNA structure itself. This is shown by ethidium bromide intercalation assays and DNase digestion assays. The presented PAA-PEO systems allow for the formation of well-defined single-plasmid polyplexes, preventing hard DNA compression and strongly polydisperse polyplexes. Moreover carrier polymers and the resulting polyplexes exhibit no cytotoxicity, as was shown by viability tests; this makes the carriers potentially suitable for in vivo delivery applications.     

Amphiphilic diblock copolymers based on poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) and poly(4‐substituted‐ε‐caprolactone): Synthesis,characterization, and cellular uptake

Amphiphilic diblock copolymers with various block compositions were synthesized on poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PEtOz) as a hydrophilic block and poly(4‐methyl‐ε‐caprolactone) (PMCL) or poly(4‐phenyl‐ε‐caprolactone) (PBCL) as a hydrophobic block. These PEtOz‐b‐PMCL and PEtOz‐b‐PBCL copolymers consisting of soft domains of amorphous PEtOz and PM(B)CL had no melting endothermal peaks but displayed T_g. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) values for the PEtOz‐b‐PMCL, and the PEtOz‐b‐PBCL aqueous solution were observed to shift to lower temperature than PEtOz homopolymers. Their aqueous solutions were characterized using fluorescence techniques and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The block copolymers formed micelles with critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) in the range 0.6–11.1 mg L^?1 in an aqueous phase. As the length of the hydrophobic PMCL or PBCL blocks elongated, lower CMC values were generated. The mean diameters of the micelles were between 127 and 318 nm, with PDI in the range of 0.06–0.21, suggesting nearly monodisperse size distributions. The drug entrapment efficiency and drug‐loading content of micelles depend on block polymer compositions. In vitro cell viability assay showed that PEtOz‐b‐PMCL has low cytotoxicity. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX)‐loaded micelles facilitated human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell uptake of DOX; uptake was completed within 2 h, and DOX was able to reach intracellular compartments and enter the nuclei by endocytosis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2769–2781     

Poly(glycoamidoamine)s: Cationic glycopolymers for DNA delivery

Polymer science is playing an exciting role in inspiring and advancing novel discoveries in the area of genetic drug delivery. Polymeric materials can be synthesized and chemically tailored to bind and compact nucleic acids into viral‐like nanoparticles termed polyplexes that can deliver genetic materials into cells. This article highlights our work in this area to synthesize and study a novel class of cationic glycopolymers that we have termed poly(glycoamidoamine)s (PGAAs). The design of these materials has been inspired by many previous works in the literature. Carbohydrate comonomers have been incorporated into these structures to lower the toxicity of the delivery vehicle, and oligoamine moieties have been added to yield a cationic backbone that facilitates strong DNA binding, compaction, cellular uptake, and delivery of genetic material. PGAAs have been designed to vary in the carbohydrate size, the hydroxyl number and stereochemistry, the amine number, and the presence or absence of heterocyclic groups. Through structure–bioactivity studies, we have discovered that these materials are highly biocompatible, and each specific feature plays a large role in the observed delivery efficacy. Such structure–property studies are important for increasing our understanding of how the polymer chemistry affects the biological activity for the clinical development of polymer‐based therapeutics. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6895–6908, 2006     

Structural diversity in poly(disulfide)s

This article reports a synthetic methodology for single step preparation of telechelic poly(disulfide)s (PDS) by step‐growth polymerization between a di‐thiol and a commercially available monomer 2,2′‐dithiodipyridine in presence of a functional group appended pyridyl disulfide moiety as the “mono‐functional impurity” (MFI). Redox‐destructible well‐defined segmented PDSs with functional chain terminal, predicted and tunable degree of polymerization and narrow polydispersity index (<2.0) could be synthesized under a mild reaction condition. Using an appropriate MFI, PDS could be synthesized with trithiocarbonate chain terminals in a single step, which could be further used as macro chain‐transfer agent (CTA) for chain growth polymerization under RAFT mechanism producing ABA type tri‐block copolymer wherein the B block consists of the degradable PDS chain. By copolymerization between a hydrophobic di‐thiol monomer and a hydroxyl group appended di‐thiol monomer, PDS could be prepared with pendant hydroxyl functional group which was utilized to initiate ring opening polymerization of cyclic lactide monomers producing well‐defined degradable graft‐copolymer. The pendant hydroxyl groups were further utilized to anchor a polar carboxylic group to the degradable PDS backbone which under basic condition showed aqueous self‐assembly generating micelle‐like structure with hydrophobic guest encapsulation ability and glutathione responsive sustained release. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 194–202