Imaging and Chemotherapeutic Comparisons of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Chemically and Physically Coated with Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-Poly(ε-caprolactone)-g-Poly(acrylic acid).

We designed a new copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)-graft-poly(acrylic acid) (PAA-PEC), which could be chemically and physically coated onto iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles for theranostic applications. The chemically PAA-PEC-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (PAA-PEC-IO) were prepared using the carboxylic groups of PAA-PEC to bind the Fe3O4 nanoparticles during a co-precipitation reaction. Because of the amphiphilic properties of PAA-PEC, the compound self-assembled into a core-shell structure.

Chondroitin sulfate-polyethylenimine copolymer-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as an efficient magneto-gene carrier for microRNA-encoding plasmid DNA delivery.

MicroRNA-128 (miR-128) is an attractive therapeutic molecule with powerful glioblastoma regulation properties. However, miR-128 lacks biological stability and leads to poor delivery efficacy in clinical applications. In our previous study, we demonstrated two effective transgene carriers, including polyethylenimine (PEI)-decorated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as well as chemically-conjugated chondroitin sulfate-PEI copolymers (CPs).

Angiopep-pluronic F127-conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as nanotheranostic agents for BBB targeting.

Pluronic® F127-modified water-dispersible poly(acrylic acid)-bound iron oxide (PF127-PAAIO) nanoparticles have been prepared as diagnostic agents. A blood-brain-barrier penetrating peptide, angiopep-2 (ANG), was further conjugated onto the surface of the PF127-PAAIO (ANG-PF127-PAAIO) for brain targeting. The ANG-PF127-PAAIO shows negligible cell cytotoxicity, better cellular uptake, and higher T-weighted image enhancement than the PF127-PAAIO in U87 cells.

One-pot synthesis of PDMAEMA-bound iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetofection.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have been widely used for multiple biomedical applications. Magnetic-assisted transfection (magnetofection) using SPION is an attractive gene vector candidate. In this work, poly(2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-bound iron oxide nanoparticles (IO-PDMAEMA) were generated using a grafting-from approach via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) for use as a gene vector.

A specific tumor-targeting magnetofluorescent nanoprobe for dual-modality molecular imaging.

Poly(acrylic acid) was decorated onto Fe(3)O(4) resulting in a highly water-soluble superparamagnetic iron oxide. The Poly(acrylic acid) iron oxide (PAAIO) complexes possess specific magnetic properties in the presence of an external magnetic field and are attractive contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The free carboxylic groups of PAAIO exposed on the surface allow for covalent attachment of a fluorescent dye, Rhodamine 123 (Rh123) to form PAAIO-Rh123, which permits applications in fluorescence imaging.