Self-assembled micelles of novel graft amphiphilic copolymers for drug controlled release

In this study, with the aim of designing an ideal anticancer drug carrier, we synthesized novel amphiphilic graft copolymers, P(Glu-alt-PEG)-graft-PCLA, based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segments and glutamic acid (Glu) units as the hydrophilic main chain, and poly(ɛ-caprolactone-co-lactide) (PCLA) as hydrophobic branches. The chemical structure of the copolymers was characterized by 1H MNR and FT-IR. The self-assembly of the copolymers to form micelles was studied by TEM, DLS and fluorescence spectroscopy. In vitro doxorubicin controlled release studies demonstrated that these graft copolymer micelles had high drug loading capacity and good controlled released properties, demonstrating their potential as a novel anticancer drug carrier. The drug loaded graft copolymer micelles exhibited efficient inhibition of HeLa cells in in vitro studies.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights▶ Synthetic polymers exhibit great potential in drug controlled release applications due to advantages such as controllable structure, good biocompatibility and biodegradability. Recently, polymeric micelles formed by amphiphilic copolymers have attracted much interest because of their ability to solubilize hydrophobic drugs. In this study, novel graft amphiphilic copolymers P(Glu-alt-PEG)-graft-PCLA were designed and their self-assembly micelles were prepared. The graft copolymer micelles exhibited high drug loading capacity and good drug release properties due to the special structure of the copolymers. Cytotoxicity evaluation showed that doxorubicin loaded micelles exhibited efficient cancer cell inhibition effects, indicating the potential of the micelles as novel anticancer drug carriers.