Issue 40, 2020

Block copolymer [(l-GluA-5-BE)-b-(l-AspA-4-BE)]-based nanoflower capsules with thermosensitive morphology and pH-responsive drug release for cancer therapy

Abstract

Herein, the synthesis of an amino-acid-based di-block copolymer (di-BCP) in-between an L-glutamic acid-5-benzyl ester and L-aspartic acid-4-benzyl ester [(L-GluA-5-BE)-b-(L-AspA-4-BE)] has been reported. However, the synthesis of di-BCP of [(L-GluA-5-BE)-b-(L-AspA-4-BE)] was carried out through the facile modified ring-opening polymerization (ROP) without using any surfactants and harmful chemicals. Interestingly, the synthesized [(L-GluA-5-BE)-b-(L-AspA-4-BE)] has been used to design nanoflower capsules (NFCs) with surface-functionalized nanoflakes and petals. Notably, the simple solvent propanol has been used as a dispersing medium for the di-BCP-based powder to observe morphology of NFCs. Moreover, these amino-acid-based NFCs are biocompatible, biodegradable, and bio-safe for mankind usage. Consequently, di-BCP-based NFCs show changes in morphology with different temperature conditions, i.e., at ∼10 °C, ∼25 °C (RT), and ∼37 °C (body temperature). Furthermore, the average thickness of the surface-functionalized nanopetals has been calculated as ∼324 nm (in diameter). Similarly, the average distance between petals is calculated as 3.6 μm and the pore depth is ∼21 nm. Additionally, the porosity throughout the surface of capsules in-between nanopetals is an advantageous characteristic feature to improve the drug/paclitaxel (PTX) loading capacity. It is a unique and novel approach to design NFCs, which are a potential payload for nanomedicine and cancer therapy. Furthermore, NFCs were used to evaluate the loading efficacy of drugs and showed ∼78% (wt/wt%) of the PTX loading. Moreover, NFCs showed ∼74% drug release at physiological body temperature. Thus, NFCs showed remarkable release at acidic pH medium. However, PTX released from NFCs showed greater cell inhibition (i.e., ∼79%) with an increase of the PTX concentration after 24 h incubation over HeLa (human epithelial cervical cancer) cells. Besides, PTX released from NFC showed significant (∼34%) cell killing capacity. Such promising NFCs are recommended for breast, liver, and lung cancer therapeutics.

Graphical abstract: Block copolymer [(l-GluA-5-BE)-b-(l-AspA-4-BE)]-based nanoflower capsules with thermosensitive morphology and pH-responsive drug release for cancer therapy

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 jul. 2020
Accepted
20 ago. 2020
First published
24 sep. 2020

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020,8, 9258-9268

Block copolymer [(L-GluA-5-BE)-b-(L-AspA-4-BE)]-based nanoflower capsules with thermosensitive morphology and pH-responsive drug release for cancer therapy

C. Amgoth, S. Chen, T. Malavath and G. Tang, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020, 8, 9258 DOI: 10.1039/D0TB01647K

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