Synthesis and characterization of a multi-sensitive crosslinked injectable hydrogel based on Pluronic

This paper reports the construction of a novel multi-sensitive chemically crosslinked injectable hydrogel with strong mechanical strength by modifying Pluronic F127 responsive against temperature, pH and redox potential. Crosslinked polymer between benzaldehyde grafted Pluronic (P-A) and amine end capped Pluronic having disulfide linkage (P-B) have been synthesized and characterized with 1H NMR spectroscopy and GPC. The hydrogel under physiological conditions significantly altered sol-gel transition behaviors with much lower critical gelation concentrations and temperatures, compared to Pluronic hydrogels. The rheological characterization demonstrated that the moduli of the hydrogels were able to be tuned depending on molecular weight as well as pH, redox and temperature conditions.     

Development of disulfide core-crosslinked pluronic nanoparticles as an effective anticancer-drug-delivery system

Thiolated Pluronic (Plu‐SH) nanoparticles are developed as potential articulate, target‐specific anticancer‐drug carriers for intracellular drug release triggered by the difference in redox potential in tumor cells. The cores of the micelles are formed by the disulfide bonds of the functionalized Pluronic F127, when dissolved in an aqueous solution. The nanoparticles are 95.6 ± 18.6 nm in size, and 235.6 ± 63.7 nm after encapsulation of the hydrophobic drug molecules. The drug‐loaded micelles show effective stability in blood‐plasma conditions and the kinetics of micelle stability and drug release are shown. Paclitaxel‐loaded micelles display approximately 39% cell viability in A549 cells.