Article
Polymer Science
Maria Varghese, Kaitlynn A. Sockett, Sara El-Arid, Jenny Korunes-Miller, Jean-Michel Guigner, Mark W. Grinsta
Summary: We synthesized diblock poly-amido-saccharides (PASs) using living anionic ring-opening polymerization. The resulting amphiphilic polymers self-assembled into nanoparticles in water, forming spherical structures and exhibiting no cytotoxicity.
Article
Polymer Science
Yanzhe He, Zhigang Wang, Peng Liu, Xiangdong Zhou, Youliang Zhao
Summary: The research focuses on the sequential transitions of ABA triblock copolymers to different architectures, such as multisite, single-chain-folding, and branched multiblock copolymers, to explore the potential of smart materials.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dan Zhao, Dong Li, Fenli Quan, Yuhao Zhou, Zhen Zhang, Xuesi Chen, Chaoliang He
Summary: Thermoreversible hydrogels composed of PEG/P(EEO(2)LG) block copolymers exhibit rapid gel-to-sol transition rates within seconds, making them suitable for biomedical applications. These innovative hydrogels also show better biocompatibility and biodegradability compared to traditional hydrogels.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fasih Bintang Ilhami, Ya-Tang Yang, Ai-Wei Lee, Yu-Hsuan Chiao, Jem-Kun Chen, Duu-Jong Lee, Juin-Yih Lai, Chih-Chia Cheng
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of controlling hydrogen bond strength in supramolecular polymers for optimizing drug delivery performance and enhancing cancer therapy effectiveness. By developing polymers with different hydrogen-bonding structures, the researchers showed that stronger hydrogen bonds play a crucial role in enhancing selective cellular uptake of drugs and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenli Feng, Zixuan Huang, Xiaoxu Kang, Dongdong Zhao, Haofei Li, Guofeng Li, Jiangtao Xu, Xing Wang
Summary: Amphiphilic block copolymers self-assembled into nanostructures with various morphologies through PET-RAFT polymerization, showing enhanced drug delivery efficiency.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Upendiran Pranav, Mehak Malhotra, Shahidkhan Pathan, Manickam Jayakannan
Summary: The present study successfully constructed biodegradable unimolecular micelles by varying the arm number and degree of branching in star polymers. These unimolecular micelles exhibited high drug-loading capacity and low effective concentration of anticancer drugs, which could be of great importance in cancer treatment.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Radostina Kalinova, Ivaylo Dimitrov
Summary: This study aimed to construct novel functional PIC micelles with cell targeting ligands on the surface and evaluate the possibility of encapsulating hydrophobic drugs. The results showed that PIC micelles can successfully be used as carriers for hydrophobic drugs, expanding their potential applications in nanomedicine.
Article
Biophysics
Yu-Lun Lo, Xiao-Shan Huang, Hsuan-Ying Chen, Yuan-Chun Huang, Zi-Xian Liao, Li-Fang Wang
Summary: The study developed a pH/redox-responsive polymer micelle for dual drug delivery, showing that co-loading cisplatin and paclitaxel into the micelle had a synergistic effect in killing lung cancer cells, demonstrating superior antitumor activity compared to single drugs or equivalent drug combinations.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ziyad Binkhathlan, Raisuddin Ali, Abdullah H. Alomrani, Mohd Abul Kalam, Aws Alshamsan, Afsaneh Lavasanifar
Summary: This paper reviews the research progress of micellar ocular delivery systems, focusing on different micellar formulations and their advantages in ocular drug delivery. It also discusses the role of PMs in the management of ocular diseases and the current status of preclinical and clinical drug development in this field.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Ke Wang, Qi Liu, Ganghui Lu, Yi Zhang, Yuanhong Zhou, Siqi Chen, Qian Ma, Guiyan Liu, Yongfei Zeng
Summary: The research synthesized a novel acid-labile temperature-responsive homopolymer with unique dissolution temperature characteristics and prepared an acid-induced phase transition copolymer, providing new ideas for the design of multi-stimuli responsive polymers.
Article
Polymer Science
Yuejia Zhu, Luoyu Gao, Zhenjiang Li, Bo Liu, Zhihao Zhang, Haoying Tong, Yuanyuan Qu, Yusheng Quan, Xin Zou, Kai Guo
Summary: An innovative strategy using a bifunctional reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent was proposed to copolymerize four distinct types of monomers (ABCD) in one pot, achieving the synthesis of tetrablock quaterpolymers. By sequentially feeding monomers and utilizing dual-switch mechanisms, the study successfully combined cRAFT, rRAFT, and ROPs for the rational design and precise synthesis of multiblock copolymers with advanced architectures and functionalities.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Katharina Leer, Gizem Cinar, Jana I. Solomun, Liam Martin, Ivo Nischang, Anja Traeger
Summary: Stimuli-responsive block copolymer micelles show promise for efficient gene delivery due to tailored properties. A system was designed using temperature and pH responsiveness, resulting in successful gene delivery. Core-crosslinking significantly increased transfection efficiency in this comprehensive investigation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jianchang Xu, Jing Zhang, Fusheng Zhang, Lijuan Zhang
Summary: Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are biocompatible and biodegradable nanomaterials that have attracted considerable attention in biomedical applications. This study presents a copolymer-functionalized CNC-based drug carrier for simultaneous photothermal therapy and chemotherapy. The drug carrier can encapsulate therapeutic agents and NIR dyes, and the release profile of the drug can be controlled by NIR and pH triggers. The CNC-based drug carrier exhibits enhanced cytotoxicity and accelerated endocytosis in cancer cells.
Article
Polymer Science
Katharina Nieswandt, Prokopios Georgopanos, Martin Held, Evgeni Sperling, Volker Abetz
Summary: Thermoresponsive copolymers were synthesized and their thermoresponsive properties were characterized. The copolymers showed a lower critical solution temperature in water, which depended on the molar fraction of one of the monomers. Block copolymers were also prepared using a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization method, and their thermoresponsive behavior in a confined state was investigated. The nanospheres showed a linear change in hydrodynamic radius with temperature, and the addition of certain salt anions affected the collapse of the nanospheres' corona.
Article
Polymer Science
Sergey Khatuntsev, Anastasiia Fanova, Petr Fetin, Leonid I. Kaberov, Nina Girbasova, Alexey A. Lezov, Ivan Zorin, Alexander Bilibin
Summary: In this study, dumbbell-like linear-dendritic copolymers based on polyethylene glycols with aspartic dendrons were synthesized. The ionic complexes of these oppositely charged copolymers exhibited self-assembly in water and methanol and formed gels in low polar solvents. Various characterization techniques indicated a lamellar structure of the PEG-copolymer complexes, with the thickness, degree of order, and crystallinity of the PEG microphase determined by the structure of the branched block.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiheng Zhang, Nathaniel Corrigan, Cyrille Boyer
Summary: In this study, RAFT agents were incorporated into resin formulations to allow for visible light-mediated 3D printing of materials with self-healing capabilities. The self-healing process is based on the reactivation of RAFT agent embedded in the thermosets under UV light, enabling reformation of the polymeric network. Resins containing RAFT agents enable 3D printing of thermosets with self-healing properties, expanding the potential applications in various fields.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chenyu Wu, Nathaniel Corrigan, Chern-Hooi Lim, Wenjian Liu, Garret Miyake, Cyrille Boyer
Summary: The use of photocatalysts in controlled polymerization has provided new opportunities for sophisticated macromolecular synthesis. The rational design of photocatalysts based on the knowledge of structure-property-performance relationships allows for rapid and economic tuning of the performance and functionality of polymerization systems, thus advancing polymer science.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nida Nauman, Cyrille Boyer, Per B. Zetterlund
Summary: Membrane emulsification combined with miniemulsion polymerization using pore sizes of 100 and 800 nm was investigated for different water-soluble monomers, showing that it is a convenient method for synthesizing well-defined polymer nanoparticles of various monomers in the size range of 200-3500 nm.
COLLOID AND POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zilong Wu, Kenward Jung, Chenyu Wu, Gervase Ng, Lei Wang, Jingquan Liu, Cyrille Boyer
Summary: Metal naphthalocyanines (MNcs) have been demonstrated as efficient photocatalysts for controlled polymerization reactions. Due to their lower redox potential, they exhibit a unique selectivity in activating trithiocarbonate RAFT agents, depending on the nature of the R group. Furthermore, by adjusting the reaction temperature, the activation barrier for trithiocarbonates with a secondary R group can be overcome.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francesco De Logu, Romina Nassini, Alan Hegron, Lorenzo Landini, Dane D. Jensen, Rocco Latorre, Julia Ding, Matilde Marini, Daniel Souza Monteiro de Araujo, Paulina Ramirez-Garcia, Michael Whittaker, Jeffri Retamal, Mustafa Titiz, Alessandro Innocenti, Thomas P. Davis, Nicholas Veldhuis, Brian L. Schmidt, Nigel W. Bunnett, Pierangelo Geppetti
Summary: This study reveals that the CGRP-mediated neuronal/Schwann cell pathway mediates allodynia associated with neurogenic inflammation, contributing to the algesic action of CGRP in mice.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhao Sha, Cyrille Boyer, Guang Li, Yuyan Yu, Francois-Marie Allioux, Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, Chun-Hui Wang, Jin Zhang
Summary: A technique for introducing liquid metal Galinstan nanodroplets into electrospun PVDF-co-HFP nanofibers was proposed to enhance the triboelectric performance of TENGs, resulting in significantly improved electrical outputs. The LM modified PVDF-HFP nanofiber membranes showed the highest multifunctionality efficiency in terms of mechanical performance and electrical generation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nathaniel Corrigan, Cyrille Boyer
Summary: 3D printing technology allows for easy production of geometrically complex materials, and this study presents a method of post-functionalizing these materials using the 3D printer hardware. By controlling the chemical composition of the resin, the bulk and interfacial properties of the 3D printed materials can be independently modified. The process involves preparing liquid resins, curing them in layers using a 3D printer, and replacing the initial resin with a new mixture containing functional monomers. This allows for the production of a wide range of 3D printed materials with tailorable properties.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yungyeong Lee, Cyrille Boyer, Min Sang Kwon
Summary: Environmentally benign and sustainable chemistry has the potential to address negative environmental impacts associated with synthetic polymers production and degradation, particularly through the convergence of visible-light-driven photocatalysis and reversible-deactivation radical polymerization for green synthesis of plastics.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xumin Huang, Tianhong Xu, Ao Shen, Thomas P. Davis, Ruirui Qiao, Shi-Yang Tang
Summary: This study investigates the effect of different anchoring groups on the stability of liquid metal nanoparticles (LMNPs), and finds that increasing the number of anchoring groups enhances the colloidal stability of LMNPs, while polymers bearing multidentate phosphonic acids provide the optimum chemical stability for LMNPs.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Meike N. Leiske, Zihnil A. I. Mazrad, Aykut Zelcak, Kanu Wahi, Thomas P. Davis, Joshua A. McCarroll, Jeff Holst, Kristian Kempe
Summary: This study presents a method for synthesizing new amino acid-containing, cell-specific, therapeutically active polymers. Starting materials were amino acids, which were used to prepare tailored polymers with different amino acids in the side chain. The reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization of acrylate monomers resulted in polymers with narrow size distribution. Glutamate-functionalized, zwitterionic polymers exhibited high cytocompatibility and cellular specificity, showing association with cancer cell lines but not with nontumor fibroblasts. Cellular uptake experiments and confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed energy-dependent uptake mechanisms and localization of the polymers in cellular lysosomes. Copolymers with a specific monomer ratio of Glu acrylate and BzlSer acrylate demonstrated targeted cytotoxicity against cancer cells while leaving fibroblasts unaffected. These results highlight the importance of incorporating biologically derived materials in synthetic polymers and the potential of zwitterionic, amino acid-derived materials for cellular targeting.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Z. Ma, S. W. Wong, H. Forgham, L. Esser, M. Lai, M. N. Leiske, K. Kempe, G. Sharbeen, J. Youkhana, F. Mansfeld, J. F. Quinn, P. A. Phillips, T. P. Davis, M. Kavallaris, J. A. McCarroll
Summary: The study demonstrated that star-shaped siRNA nanoparticles can effectively inhibit target gene expression in lung cancer cells and delay tumor growth in mouse lung tumors. This provides a proof-of-concept for aerosol delivery of star-siRNA nanoparticles as a novel therapeutic strategy to inhibit lung tumor growth.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Rocco Latorre, Paulina D. Ramirez-Garcia, Alan Hegron, James L. Grace, Jeffri S. Retamal, Priyank Shenoy, Mai Tran, Luigi Aurelio, Bernard Flynn, Daniel P. Poole, Rafael Klein-Cloud, Dane D. Jensen, Thomas P. Davis, Brian L. Schmidt, John F. Quinn, Michael R. Whittaker, Nicholas A. Veldhuis, Nigel W. Bunnett
Summary: Stable star polymer nanostars that release antagonists continuously for 24 hours provide effective and long-lasting relief from chronic pain by disrupting endosomal signaling.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Matthew C. Urquhart, Francesca Ercole, Andrew J. Clulow, Thomas P. Davis, Michael R. Whittaker, Ben J. Boyd, John F. Quinn
Summary: This study discovers that an amphiphilic trisulfide can alter the behavior of lipid particles and enable triggered release of H2S, providing potential applications in stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Paulina D. Ramirez-Garcia, Nicholas A. Veldhuis, Nigel W. Bunnett, Thomas P. Davis
Summary: In this article, we propose a new opportunity to target intracellular compartments by delivering antagonists via nanoparticles to G-protein coupled receptors. We specifically discuss the application of this approach in antagonizing endosomal receptors involved in pain for developing long-lasting analgesics, and also highlight the potential broader applications. We also discuss the materials used and provide design requirements for future successful applications.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicholas Andrikopoulos, Huayuan Tang, Yue Wang, Xiufang Liang, Yuhuan Li, Thomas P. Davis, Pu Chun Ke
Summary: Therapeutic peptides are important drugs that specifically target abnormal protein-protein interactions associated with amyloid diseases. The use of nanoparticles in combination with peptide drugs has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing their efficacy against amyloid aggregation and cellular inflammation. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the chemistry and function of peptido-nanocomposites, and a systematic analysis of their application against a range of amyloid pathogeneses is missing.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
