N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide-based polymer conjugates with pH-controlled activation of doxorubicin for cell-specific or passive tumour targeting. Synthesis by RAFT polymerisation and physicochemical characterisation

Controlled radical reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisation was used to prepare water-soluble polymer–drug carriers based on copolymers of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) with a hydrazide group-containing monomer, showing well-defined structure with narrow molecular weight distribution (approx. 1.1–1.2). The anticancer therapeutic doxorubicin was bound to the polymeric carrier by a hydrazone bond, enabling pH-controlled release under mildly acid conditions that mimics the environment in endosomes/lysosomes of tumour cells. RAFT polymerisation facilitated the synthesis of semitelechelic copolymers, which were used in the synthesis of monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody–polymer–drug conjugate designed for cell-specific tumour targeting. They were also used for producing a biodegradable high-molecular-weight graft polymer–drug conjugate that degrade in the presence of glutathione, which is designed for passive targeting to solid tumours. The conjugates exhibited well-defined structures with narrow molecular weight distributions of approx. 1.3 and pH-controlled drug release.