Dendritic polyurethane-based prodrug as unimolecular micelles for precise ultrasound-activated localized drug delivery

Ultrasound has been recognized as an exciting tool to enhance the therapeutic efficacy in tumor chemotherapy owing to the triggered drug release, facilitated intracellular drug delivery, and improved spatial precision. Aiming for a precise localized drug delivery, novel dendritic polyurethane-based prodrug (DOX-DPU-PEG) was fabricated with a drug content of 18.9% here by conjugating DOX onto the end groups of the functionalized dendritic polyurethane via acid-labile imine bonds. It could easily form unimolecular micelles around 38 nm. Compared with the non-covalently drug-loaded unimolecular micelles (DOX@Ph-DPU-PEG), they showed excellent pH/ultrasound dual-triggered drug release performance, with drug leakage of only 4% at pH 7.4, but cumulative release of 14% and 88% at pH 5.0 without and with ultrasound, respectively. The ultrasound responsiveness was attributed to the unique strawberry-shaped topological structure of the DOX-DPU-PEG, in which DOX was embedded in the skin layer of the hydrophobic DPU cores. With ultrasound, the DOX-DPU-PEG unimolecular micelles possessed enhanced tumor growth inhibition than free DOX but showed no obvious cytotoxicity on the tumor cells without ultrasound. Such feature makes them promising potential for precise localized drug delivery.     

Nonconventional macromolecular luminogens with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

Nonconventional luminogens without classic conjugated structures have drawn increasing interests owing to their fundamental importance and promising applications. These luminogens generally bear such subgroups as tertiary amine, C = C, C≡N, C = O, OH, ether, and imide. The emission mechanism, however, remains under debate. Different assumptions like oxidation or acidification of tertiary amines, aggregation of C = O groups, as well as clustering and electron cloud overlap are proposed. Unlike concentration quenching and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) that are normally observed in traditional luminogens, many of these unorthodox luminogens exhibit unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics, regardless of their molecular architectures. This review summarizes varying unorthodox luminogens with AIE features, aiming to outline the recent advances in this exciting area, with focus on the macromolecular systems. In light of the reported results, clustering-triggered emission mechanism, namely clustering of diverse subgroups with subsequent electron cloud overlap and conformation rigidification can well rationalize the photophysical behaviors of most systems. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 560–574     

Biothiol-specific fluorescent probes with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

Biothiols are important species in physiological processes such as regulating protein structures, redox homeostasis and cell signalling. Alternation in the biothiol levels is associated with various pathological processes, therefore non-invasive fluorescent probes with high specificity to biothiols are highly desirable research utilities. Meanwhile, fluorescent probes with aggregation-induced emission properties (AIEgens) possess unique photophysical properties that allow modulation of the sensing process through controlling the aggregation-disaggregation or the intramolecular rotational motions of the fluorophores. Herein we review the recent progress in the development of biothiol-specific AIEgens. In particular, the molecular design principles to target different types of biothiols and the corresponding sensing mechanisms are discussed, along with the potential of the future design and development of multi-functional bioprobes.     

New tetraphenylpyridinium-baseci luminogens with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

The research on aggregation-induced emission （AIE） has drawn increasing interests in the past decade. With the efforts scientists paid, a variety of AIE systems have been developed, among which the tetraphenylethelene and silole derivatives are the most studied. Development of new AIE systems could further enrich the AIE molecules and promote the development of AIE area. In this communication, we prepared a new AIE system based on 1,2,4,6-tetraphenylpyridinium ions according to the restriction of intramolecular rotation mechanism. These molecules could be facilely synthesized via one-step and one-pot reaction. The ionic AIE-active molecules could find wide application in sensing and optoelectronic areas.     

New tetraphenylpyridinium-based luminogens with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

The research on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has drawn increasing interests in the past decade. With the efforts scientists paid, a variety of AIE systems have been developed, among which the tetraphenylethelene and silole derivatives are the most studied. Development of new AIE systems could further enrich the AIE molecules and promote the development of AIE area. In this communication, we prepared a new AIE system based on 1,2,4,6-tetraphenylpyridinium ions according to the restriction of intramolecular rotation mechanism. These molecules could be facilely synthesized via one-step and one-pot reaction. The ionic AIE-active molecules could find wide application in sensing and optoelectronic areas.     

Block copolymer micelles conjugated with anti‐EGFR antibody for targeted delivery of anticancer drug

Antiepidermal growth factor receptor antibody (anti‐EGFR antibody) was conjugated with the block copolymer micelle based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) for active targeting to EGFR overexpressing cancer cells. Doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated in the core of the block copolymer (MePEG‐b‐PCL) micelle (DOX‐micelle). The mean diameters of the DOX‐micelle and the anti‐EGFR‐PEG‐b‐PCL copolymer micelles loaded with DOX (DOX‐anti‐EGFR‐micelle) were about 25 and 31 nm, respectively. The RKO human colorectal cancer cells expressing moderate degree of EGFR were incubated with free DOX, DOX‐micelle, or DOX‐anti‐EGFR‐micelle to study the distribution of DOX in the cells. When cells were incubated with free DOX, moderate degree of DOX fluorescence was observed in the nuclei. In the cells treated with DOX‐micelle, the DOX fluorescence intensity in the cytoplasm was much greater than that in the nuclei. On the other hand, the nuclei of the cells treated with DOX‐anti‐EGFR‐micelle exhibited DOX fluorescence intensity similar to that in the cytoplasm. The cytotoxicity of DOX‐anti‐EGFR‐micelle to induce apoptosis in RKO cells was significantly greater than that of free DOX or DOX‐micelle. These results demonstrated that the presence of anti‐EGFR antibody on the DOX‐micelle surface (DOX‐anti‐EGFR‐micelle) increased the internalization of the DOX‐micelle and nuclear accumulation of DOX, and enhanced the DOX‐induced cell death. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7321–7331, 2008     

A new approach towards acid sensitive copolymer micelles for drug delivery

A new micellar system capable of selective release of its contents under mildly acidic conditions is described.     

A dual-responsive hyaluronic acid nanocomposite hydrogel drug delivery system for overcoming multiple drug resistance

Chemotherapy is restricted by efficient drug outflow due to the multiple drug resistance (MDR) in heterogenous nature of tumor. Herein, we present a dual-responsive hyaluronic acid (HA) nanocomposite hydrogel that can not only response to the tumor microenvironment but also enhance chemotherapy. This HA hydrogel consists of a core-shell SiO₂ (GOD@SiO₂-Arg) and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with doxorubicin (DOX) as the cargo (DOX@MSN). It could rapidly release the GOD@SiO₂-Arg nanoparticles at the low pH tumor-specific environment due to the cleavage of imine bond. GOD@SiO₂-Arg activated by over-expressed glutathione (GSH) in tumor cells releases GOD due to the cleavage of disulfide bonds, which could oxidize glucose to produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) for in situ NO generation via reaction between Arg and H₂O₂. The validity of this study might provide a method to modulate the tumor microenvironment for enhancing chemotherapy.     

Recombinant amphiphilic protein micelles for drug delivery

Amphiphilic block polypeptides can self-assemble into a range of nanostructures in solution, including micelles and vesicles. Our group has recently described the capacity of recombinant amphiphilic diblock copolypeptides to form highly stable micelles. In this report, we demonstrate the utility of protein nanoparticles to serve as a vehicle for controlled drug delivery. Drug-loaded micelles were produced by encapsulating dipyridamole as a model hydrophobic drug with anti-inflammatory activity. Murine studies confirmed the capacity of drug-loaded protein micelles to limit the in vivo recruitment of neutrophils in response to an inflammatory stimulus.     

Designing anticancer combretastatin A-4 analogues with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

Science China Chemistry - Herein a series of combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) analogues with aggregation-induced emission characteristics (compounds a1–a19) were rationally designed and synthesized....     

Preparation and self-assembly of amphiphilic polymer with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

An amphiphilic polymer bearing tetraphenylethene (TPE) moiety was synthesized by convenient reactions. The polymer exhibits unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics and can self-assemble to size-tunable particles in DMF/water mixtures. The polymer nanoparticles can be used for cell imaging, which provides a potential stable fluorescent tool to monitor the distribution of drugs and bioconjugates in living cells.     

Block ionomer complex micelles with cross-linked cores for drug delivery

Soft polymeric nanomaterials were synthesized by template-assisted method involving condensation of the poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polycarboxylate anions by metal ions into core-shell block ionomer complex micelles followed by chemical cross-linking of the polyion chains in the micelle cores. The resulting materials represent nanogels and are capable of swelling in a pH-dependent manner. The structural determinants that guide the self-assembly of the initial micelle templates and the swelling behavior of the cross-linked micelles include the block ionomer structure, the chemical nature of metal ions, the structure of the cross-links and the degree of cross-linking. The application of these materials for loading and release of a drug, cisplatin, is evaluated. These cross-linked block ionomer micelles have promise for delivery of pharmaceutical agents. The text was submitted by the authors in English. This work was supported by the grants from U.S.A. National Institute of Health CA116590 (T.B.), National Science Foundation DMR-0513699 (A.V.K. and T.B.) and Department of Defense USAMRMC 06108004 (A.V.K.).     

Self-assembling chitosan/poly-γ-glutamic acid nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery

For the purpose of targeted drug delivery, composite biodegradable nanoparticles were prepared from chitosan and the poly-γ-glutamic acid via an ionotropic gelation process. These stable self-assembled nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, which demonstrated that the nanosystem consists of spherical particles with a smooth surface both in aqueous environment and in dried state. Toxicity measurements showed that the composition is nontoxic when tested either on cell cultures or in animal feeding experiments. To evaluate the potential of the nanosystem for intracellular drug delivery, the nanoparticles were fluorescently labeled and folic acid was attached as a cancer cell-specific targeting moiety. The ability of the particles to be internalized was tested using confocal microscopic imaging on cultured A2780/AD ovarian cancer cells, which overexpress folate receptors. The quantitative data obtained by digital processing of the intensity of green color of each pixel in the pictures inside the cell boundaries and total intensity of fluorescence inside the cells showed that “targeted” particles internalized into the cells significantly faster and the total accumulation of these particles was substantially higher in the cancer cells when compared with “nontargeted” particles, which may facilitate effective and specific cytoplasmic delivery of anticancer agents loaded into such nanoparticles. Zsolt Keresztessy and Magdolna Bodnár contributed equally to this work.     

Towards high efficiency solid emitters with aggregation-induced emission and electron-transport characteristics

Combination of an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) moiety and a dimesitylboron group yields a new three-coordinate boron compound exhibiting a synergistic effect: the resultant TPEDMesB shows AIE feature with solid-state emission efficiency up to unity and good electron-transport property, and thus remarkable electroluminescence (EL) performances.     

Conformational sensitivity of tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene derivatives with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

Organic dyes with conformational sensitivity can be used to probe weak interactions at the molecular level. Here, three molecules based on tetraphenyl-1,3-butadienes(TPBs) were synthesized and studied with respect to their synthesis, structural characterization and potential application. All TPBs showed aggregation-induced emission(AIE) characteristics and sensitive conformational properties, in which the emission wavelengths could be changed in different states. The TPBs single crystals revealed that the phenyl groups at the 4-position of the 1,3-butadienes contributed to their conformational sensitivity. Furthermore, the potential application for monitoring the interactions among polyelectrolyte complexes and metal ions was explored, and the results showed that TPBs could be used for sensitively probing some weak interactions by changing the emission wavelengths due to their conformation-sensitive properties. TPBs may become a new star in AIE research fields.     

Carrier-free, functionalized drug nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery

We demonstrate a new concept of carrier-free functionalized drug nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery. It exhibits significantly enhanced drug efficacy to folate receptor-positive cells with high selectivity and a high drug loading content up to more than 78%.     

New ferrocenyl derivative with controllable aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics

A novel molecular switch, 7-(N,N-diethylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromen-4-yl ferrocene carboxylate (FCC), was synthesized and fully characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and HRMS. Taking advantage of the properties of ferrocene as an electron donor active unit and the coumarin as a fluorescent unit, the dyad FCC shows a fast and reversible redox-switchable fluorescence emission. In sharp contrast to most photoluminescent chromophores, FCC has a unique enhanced emission through aggregation. The change of electrochemical signals (CV and DPV) indicated that the ferrocene (F_c) unit of FCC could form inclusion complex with Me-β-cyclodextrin (CD). This inclusion complex could further weaken the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect remarkably. This advance paves the way to introduce AIE property into molecular devices applications.