Radiopaque poly(5-acrylamido-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalic acid)-based copolymers as theranostic carriers for image-guided drug delivery

Abstract

Advancements in disease understanding have led to a shift towards personalized medicine, which has driven the development of an approach called theranostics. This approach combines diagnostics and therapy in one integrated system. Radiopaque biomaterials allow for non-invasive imaging using X-ray and computed tomography (CT). However, conventional contrast agents like gold nanoparticles are costly and are not well-suited for drug encapsulation. In this study, new block and statistical copolymers were synthesized using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization comprising poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(5-acrylamido-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalic acid) (PAATIPA), designed to combine radiopacity with drug delivery capabilities. PAATIPA's high iodine content provides strong contrast in CT scans, while PNIPAM's thermoresponsiveness allows for self-assembly at higher temperatures. The anionic nature of PAATIPA allows the efficient encapsulation of the cationic small-molecule rhodamine 6G. The copolymers exhibited an enhanced encapsulation of cationic rhodamine 6G (>90% at 35 w/w% of rhodamine) and excellent biocompatibility, as demonstrated in cytotoxicity assays. This study emphasizes the potential of PAATIPA-based copolymer materials as multifunctional, radio-opaque and stimuli-responsive materials for theranostic applications.

Graphical abstract: Radiopaque poly(5-acrylamido-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalic acid)-based copolymers as theranostic carriers for image-guided drug delivery

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 May 2025
Accepted
18 Jul 2025
First published
28 Jul 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2025, Advance Article

Radiopaque poly(5-acrylamido-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalic acid)-based copolymers as theranostic carriers for image-guided drug delivery

K. Kolouchova, N. Pien, F. N. Cetin, Z. Cernochova, J. Van Meerssche, M. Slouf, A. Bara, O. Groborz, M. Hruby and S. Van Vlierberghe, Nanoscale, 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5NR02033F

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