Publication: Biodegradable and thermoresponsive micelles of triblock copolymers based on 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and ε-caprolactone for controlled drug delivery
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2008-08-18
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Elsevier
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Abstract
Amphiphilic triblock copolymers, poly(2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)x-block-poly(caprolactone)-block-poly(2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)x, PDMAEMACo, were synthesized. Polymerization and structural features of the polymers were analyzed by different physicochemical techniques (GPC, ¹H NMR and FTIR). Formation of hydrophobic domains as cores of the micelles was studied by ¹H NMR and further confirmed by fluorescence. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed a monodispersed size distribution only for the copolymer with the lowest degree of polymerization, while increasing the length of PDMAEMA blocks leads to a bimodal size distribution. The micelles showed reversible dispersion/aggregation in response to temperature cycles through an outer polymer shell lower critical solution temperature (LCST) for PDMAEMA at temperatures between 54 and 87 °C. The triblock copolymer micelles were loaded with the sparingly water-soluble anticancer drug, chlorambucil, by a dialysis procedure. The drug release profile monitored by fluorescence showed that the release of chlorambucil from PDMAEMA nanoparticles is controlled by a combined degradation–diffusion mechanism.
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Block copolymer, Micelles, Temperature sensitivity, Controllable drug release, Chemotherapy
Bibliographic citation
European Polymer Journal, 2008, 44 (11), pp. 3853-3863.