RAFT聚合法制备聚合物胶束及其应用前景

聚合物胶束由于具有优良的组织渗透性、增容效果好、结构多样性和热稳定性等特点,成为国内外研究的热点之一。本文综述了近几年发展起来的一些具有特殊结构和特殊性能的双亲性嵌段聚合物胶束的研究进展,详细阐述了RAFT聚合法合成聚合物胶束的机理和优势,表明了RAFT聚合法可直接在水溶液中方便快捷地制备出温度和pH双响应性聚合物胶束。然而,当聚合物胶束的浓度低于其临界胶束浓度时,胶束的稀释效应大大影响了其实际应用,为提高聚合物胶束的稳定性,文章归纳总结了一系列有关壳交联聚合物胶束的制备方法及研究进展。最后,文章展望了聚合物胶束在药物可控释放、靶向、生物成像、催化剂负载及其他领域的应用前景。     

聚合物胶束作为药物载体的研究进展

聚合物胶束作为药物载体具有其独特的优势。本文综述了形成聚合物胶束的两亲性共聚物的组成、聚合物胶束的形成、形态以及近些年来作为药物载体的研究进展。     

温度响应性单分子聚合物胶束

单分子聚合物胶束和传统的胶束一样具有核-壳结构,因其结构固定并具有良好的热力学稳定性而越来越受到研究者的关注。当这类胶束的核层或者壳层含有温敏性高分子的时候就可以形成具有温度响应性的单分子聚合物胶束。近年来,人们在温敏性的单分子聚合物胶束的合成与性能研究方面做了大量的工作。本文概述了具有温度响应行为的单分子聚合物胶束的类型、制备方法以及应用等方面取得的新进展,同时结合本实验室的工作,总结了基于超支化大分子的温敏性单分子聚合物胶束的相转变行为研究,并对这类胶束体系的发展进行了展望。     

氧化响应性含硒聚己内酯-b-聚磷酸酯三嵌段 聚合物胶束的合成及性能

以聚己内酯为大分子引发剂、异辛酸亚锡为催化剂引发磷酸酯单体2-乙氧基-2-氧-1,3,2-二氧磷酸酯环戊烷(EOP)开环聚合得到二嵌段的聚己内酯-b-聚磷酸酯聚合物PCL-PEEP。以1-(3-二甲氨基丙基)-3-乙基碳二亚胺,4-二甲氨基吡啶为偶合催化体系,以新合成的二羧酸含硒小分子3,3′-硒代二丙酸(Se-DCP)为偶联剂,得到含硒三嵌段聚合物PCL-PEEP-Se-PEEP-PCL,并采用溶剂挥发法制备该聚合物的胶束。通过核磁共振、红外光谱和凝胶渗透色谱对聚合物的结构进行了表征,通过荧光光谱、核磁共振氢谱、动态光散射和透射电镜对聚合物胶束的临界胶束浓度和氧化响应性进行了分析表征,利用噻唑蓝(MTT)比色法评价了聚合物胶束的生物相容性。结果表明:硒元素成功引入到聚合物中;聚合物胶束的临界胶束质量浓度为0.022mg/mL,胶束为平均粒径约91nm的球形;在过氧化氢的氧化条件下,胶束粒径出现不规则变化且球形胶束发生解组装;聚合物胶束具有良好的生物相容性。     

双重敏感的磺酸甜菜碱-姜黄素药物载体的合成和表征

合成了聚姜黄素-二硫键-聚甲基丙烯酸二乙胺基乙酯-聚磺酸甜菜碱(Cur-DA-ss-PDEA-PS,或简写为Cur-ss-PDEA-PS),采用核磁、红外对聚合物结构进行了表征,用示差扫描量热法测试了聚合物热性能.用溶剂挥发法制备聚合物胶束,形成了聚磺酸甜菜碱为亲水壳层、聚姜黄素为疏水核、二硫键作为还原敏感基团和聚甲基丙烯酸二乙氨基乙酯为p H敏感基团的胶束.用荧光分光光度计测定了临界胶束浓度,动态光散射以及扫描电镜对胶束结构及性质进行了表征.结果显示,胶束稳定性良好,粒径分布较窄,且具有p H敏感性和还原敏感性.胶束载药量及包封率测试结果显示,相比于聚己内酯为内核的聚合物胶束,聚姜黄素的引入提高了胶束对药物的封装效果.     

聚合物胶束作为药物载体的研究进展

聚合物胶束是具有疏水核心和亲水壳的自组装纳米颗粒.作为一种新型的药物载体,聚合物胶束具有载药范围广、结构稳定、体内滞留时间长、毒副作用小等特点.可以通过肿瘤组织的高通透性和滞留效应被动地富集在癌组织中,也可以通过修饰聚合物胶束的表面基团来实现药物靶向给药.本文总结并分析了聚合物胶束作为药物载体的研究进展,包括聚合物胶束的功能特点、制备、应用和药物的包载.     

两亲聚合物胶束自组装包药研究进展

两亲聚合物胶束具有突出的理化性能和独特功能,能够在溶液中自组形成具有核壳结构的聚合物胶束,同时实现药物的负载。自组装包药技术能够缓解我国药物辅料缺乏的现状,符合目前药物辅料发展的新趋势。通过自组装形成的聚合物胶束在药物控释、药物靶向载体、药物制剂开发、新型药物辅料等方面具有广阔的应用前景。本文综述了两亲聚合物胶束自组装包载药物的原理以及方法,重点介绍了三类两亲聚合物在自组装包药方面的最新研究成果和发展趋势。本文还对载药胶束在药物释放方面的应用进行了概述。     

获得环境响应聚合物胶束和空心球的途径

概述了本研究组近年来发展的几种制备环境敏感的聚合物纳米胶束和空心球的新方法,包括通过聚合物间的氢键相互作用构建“非共价键合胶束”的自组装方法,将聚合物自组装与单体的原位聚合相结合的方法以及利用接枝共聚物中的主链和支链间的络合作用诱导胶束化和胶束与空心球的可逆转化等.讨论了这些聚合物纳米微球和空心球对温度、pH及离子强度等的响应特性.     

基于透明质酸的缺氧响应型胶束的制备及性能研究

以透明质酸（HA）及硝基咪唑（NI）衍生物为原料,通过酰胺反应合成了一种两亲性接枝聚合物（HA-NI）.该聚合物具有缺氧响应性和肿瘤靶向性.利用傅里叶红外光谱（FT-IR）和核磁共振（NMR）对接枝聚合物的结构进行了表征,同时基于¹H NMR计算出接枝聚合物中NI的取代度.HA-NI在水中自组装形成胶束,利用动态光散射仪（DLS）表征胶束大小并对胶束的稳定性进行了研究,利用原子力显微镜（AFM）和透射电镜（TEM）观察胶束形貌.载药胶束的载药率（DL）和包封率（EE）通过紫外-可见吸收光谱（UV）测试并计算得到.胶束的缺氧响应性利用DLS、AFM、TEM、UV等探究.实验证明,该聚合物胶束具有缺氧响应性并对药物表现出良好的控制释放能力,在常氧环境下,胶束稳定存在;而在缺氧环境下,胶束散开,药物快速且完全地释放.     

光敏感双亲性梳状SMA聚合物的合成及其胶束化

以含香豆素型苯乙烯类光敏单体(coumarin-containing styrene monomer, CS)与苯乙烯(St)、马来酸酐(MA)为反应单体, 以偶氮二异丁腈(AIBN)为引发剂制备了光敏感三元苯乙烯-马来酸酐共聚物(SMA)双亲交替聚合物P(St/CS-alt-MA), 再利用羧酸酐基元与正辛胺的室温胺解反应获得光敏感双亲性梳状聚合物P(St/CS-alt-MAA8). 用傅立叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)、凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)、1H核磁共振(1H-NMR)等对该双亲梳状聚合物进行结构表征. 通过香豆素基元的光二聚作用, 使梳状聚合物溶解在DMSO中进行光照预交联; 非交联与预交联聚合物分别在选择性溶剂中自组装形成胶束; 利用羧酸基元与NaOH的离子化作用改变聚合物胶束的亲疏水性质. 动态激光光散射(DLS)与芘荧光探针实验表明预交联聚合物胶束较非交联胶束粒径大, 负载芘的能力强; 离子化作用使聚合物胶束解离重组成粒径更小的胶束, 但预交联胶束较非交联胶束小, 离子化后胶束疏水微区更加紧密, 负载芘的能力也增大.     

Micelles from amphiphilic block copolyphosphates for drug delivery

Amphiphilic block copolyphosphates (PEP-b-PIPPs) are synthesized by two-step ROP of cyclic phosphate monomers with different pedant groups. They can spontaneously self-assemble into approximately spherical micelles ranging in size between 89 and 198 nm in water. A typical hydrophobic anti-cancer drug DOX is encapsulated into the micelles. The release rate of DOX slows down with increasing hydrophobic block length of PIPP. DOX-loaded micelles are investigated for the proliferation inhibition of Hela cells and the DOX dose required for 50% cellular growth inhibition is found to be 0.8 μg mL(-1). It is demonstrated that PEP-b-PIPP micelles can be used as a safe and promising drug delivery system.     

Ultra-High to Ultra-Low Drug-Loaded Micelles: Probing Host–Guest Interactions by Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Polymer micelles are an attractive means to solubilize water insoluble compounds such as drugs. Drug loading, formulations stability and control over drug release are crucial factors for drug-loaded polymer micelles. The interactions between the polymeric host and the guest molecules are considered critical to control these factors but typically barely understood. Here, we compare two isomeric polymer micelles, one of which enables ultra-high curcumin loading exceeding 50 wt.%, while the other allows a drug loading of only 25 wt.%. In the low capacity micelles, steady-state fluorescence revealed a very unusual feature of curcumin fluorescence, a high energy emission at 510 nm. Time-resolved fluorescence upconversion showed that the fluorescence life time of the corresponding species is too short in the high-capacity micelles, preventing an observable emission in steady-state. Therefore, contrary to common perception, stronger interactions between host and guest can be detrimental to the drug loading in polymer micelles.     

Polymeric Micelles for Multidrug Delivery and Combination Therapy

The use of conventional therapy based on a single therapeutic agent is not optimal to treat human diseases. The concept called “combination therapy”, based on simultaneous administration of multiple therapeutics is recognized as a more efficient solution. Interestingly, this concept has been in use since ancient times in traditional herbal remedies with drug combinations, despite mechanisms of these therapeutics not fully comprehended by scientists. This idea has been recently re‐enacted in modern scenarios with the introduction of polymeric micelles loaded with several drugs as multidrug nanocarriers. This Concept article presents current research and developments on the application of polymeric micelles for multidrug delivery and combination therapy. The principles of micelle formation, their structure, and the developments and concept of multidrug delivery are introduced, followed by discussion on recent advances of multidrug delivery concepts directed towards targeted drug delivery and cancer, gene, and RNA therapies. The advantages of various polymeric micelles designed for different applications, and new developments combined with diagnostics and imaging are elucidated. A compilation work from our group based on multidrug‐loaded micelles as carriers in drug‐releasing implants for local delivery systems based on titania nanotubes is summarized. Finally, an overview of recent developments and prospective outlook for future trends in this field is given.     

K+‐Responsive Block Copolymer Micelles for Targeted Intracellular Drug Delivery

In this work, a novel type of block copolymer micelles with K⁺‐responsive characteristics for targeted intracellular drug delivery is developed. The proposed smart micelles are prepared by self‐assembly of poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropylacry‐lamide‐co‐benzo‐18‐crown‐6‐acrylamide) (PEG‐b‐P(NIPAM‐co‐B18C6Am)) block copolymers. Prednisolone acetate (PA) is successfully loaded into the micelles as the model drug, with loading content of 4.7 wt%. The PA‐loaded micelles display a significantly boosted drug release in simulated intracellular fluid with a high K⁺ concentration of 150 × 10⁻³m , as compared with that in simulated extracellular fluid. Moreover, the in vitro cell experiments indicate that the fluorescent molecules encapsulated in the micelles can be delivered and specifically released inside the HSC‐T6 and HepG2 cells responding to the increase of K⁺ concentration in intracellular compartments, which confirms the successful endocytosis and efficient K⁺‐induced intracellular release. Such K⁺‐responsive block copolymer micelles are highly potential as new‐generation of smart nanocarriers for targeted intracellular delivery of drugs.     

Polymer Micelles for Delayed Release of Therapeutics from Drug‐Releasing Surfaces with Nanotubular Structures

A new approach to engineer a local drug delivery system with delayed release using nanostructured surface with nanotube arrays is presented. TNT arrays electrochemically generated on a titanium surface are used as a model substrate. Polymer micelles as drug carriers encapsulated with drug are loaded at the bottom of the TNT structure and their delayed release is obtained by loading blank micelles (without drug) on the top. The delayed and time‐controlled drug release is successfully demonstrated by controlling the ratio of blank and drug loaded‐micelles. The concept is verified using four different polymer micelles (regular and inverted) loaded with water‐insoluble (indomethacin) and water‐soluble drugs (gentamicin).

     

Polypeptide dendrimers: Self-assembly and drug delivery

Amphiphilic dendritic poly(glutamic acid)-b-polyphenylalanine copolymers were synthesized using generation 3 dendritic poly(glutamic acid) as the macroinitiator in the ring-opening polymerization of NCA-Phe.The block copolymers self-assembled micelles with polyphenylalanine segments as core and dendritic poly(glutamic acid) segments as shell.The biocompatibility of the micelles was studied.The release of the anticancer drug doxorubicin from the micelles was investigated in vitro.The results showed that the ...     

Flocculation‐resistant multimolecular micelles with thermoresponsive corona from dendritic heteroarm star copolymers

In this article, we report the self‐assembly of flocculation‐resistant multimolecular micelles with thermoresponsive corona from novel dendritic heteroarm star copolymers. The micelles have a core‐shell‐corona structure at room temperature according to pyrene probe fluorescence spectrometry, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering measurements. Increasing the temperature above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), the micelles show high flocculation‐resistant ability resulting from a structure transition from core‐shell‐corona to core‐shell confirmed by a quantitative variable temperature ¹H NMR analysis method using potassium hydrogen phthalate as an external standard. A big volume change of the micelles is observed during the LCST transition. The drug loading and temperature‐dependent release properties of the micelles are also investigated by using coumarin 102 as a model drug, which displays a rapid drug release at a temperature above the LCST. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

肽类树枝状大分子:自组装胶束及药物释放研究

本文以三代聚谷氨酸肽类树枝状分子(G3-Glu)为大分子引发剂,引发N-羧基-L-苯丙氨酸-环内酸酐(NCA-Phe)的开环聚合反应,制备聚谷氨酸树枝状大分子-聚苯丙氨酸嵌段共聚物.嵌段共聚物通过自组装形成以聚苯丙氨酸链段为核,聚谷氨酸树枝状大分子为壳的胶束.将抗肿瘤药物阿霉素负载到高分子胶束中,研究其药物释放性能及体外抗肿瘤效果.结果表明,共聚物胶束具有良好的生物相容性.载药胶束具有药物缓释效果,药物持续释放时间可达60h.载药胶束的体外抗肿瘤实验表明其对肝癌细胞HepG2具有很好的杀灭效果,共培养48h后对癌细胞的杀死率可高达75%.     

Effect of Micelle Composition on Acidic Drugs Separation Behavior by Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary Chromatography

Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) is a branch of capillary electrophoretic techniques, in which surfactant micelles are added to the electrolyte solution as pseudostationary phase. Separation in MECC is based on electrophoretic mobilities of the analytes when partitioned into micelles1. In this work, four acidic drugs similar in structure with aryl carboxylic acid were separated by MECC. The effects of type of surfactant, such as anionic surfactant SDS, nonionic …     

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)