Insulin (INS) was encapsulated into complexes with poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(L-lysine) (PEG-b-PLys), which is a polypeptide-based block copolymer (a neutral-cationic block polyelectrolyte). The particular cationic-neutral block copolymer can complex INS molecules in aqueous media via electrostatic interactions. Light-scattering techniques are used to study the complexation process and structure of the hybrid nanoparticles in a series of buffers, as a function of protein concentration. The physicochemical and structural characteristics of the complexes depend on the ionic strength of the aqueous medium, while the concentration of PEG-b-PLys was constant through the series of solutions. As INS concentration increased the size distribution of the complexes decreased, especially at the highest ionic strength. The size/structure of complexes diluted in biological medium indicated that the copolymer imparts stealth properties and colloidal and biological stability to the complexes, features that could in turn affect the clearance properties in vivo. Therefore, these studies could be a rational roadmap for designing the optimum complexes/effective nanocarriers for proteins and peptides.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b01664 | DOI Listing |
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
Fudan University, Macromolecular Science, No.220, Handan Road, Yangpu District, 200433, Shanghai, CHINA.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as a gasotransmitter, not only plays a vital role in mediating many cellular activities but also manifests exciting applications in clinical therapy. However, one main obstacle in using H2S as a gaseous therapeutic agent is to realize on-demand storage and delivery of gas, and thus, it is of great importance to develop H2S-donating vehicle platforms. Although a variety of polymer-based gas-releasing carriers have been designed, almost all the systems are limited to spherical structures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Nano
January 2025
Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
With their ability to self-assemble spontaneously into well-defined nanoscale morphologies, block copolymer (BCP) thin films are a versatile platform to fabricate functional nanomaterials. An important challenge to wider deployment of BCPs in nanofabrication is combining precise control over the nanoscale domain orientation in BCP assemblies with scalable deposition techniques that are applicable to large-area, curved, and flexible substrates. Here, we show that spray-deposited smooth films of a nominally disordered BCP exhibit latent orientations, which can be prescriptively selected by controlling solvent evaporation during spray casting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
The University of Sydney, School of Chemistry, Buiding F11, Easyern Avenue, 2006, Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
Amphiphilic bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCs) with tadpole-like, coil-rod architecture can be used to self-assemble into functional polymer nanodiscs directly in water. The hydrophobic segments of the BBC were tuned via the ratio of ethoxy-ethyl glycidyl ether (EE) to tetrahydropyranyl glycidyl ether (TP) within the grafted polymer sidechains. In turn, this variation controlled the sizes, pH-responsiveness, and drug loading capacity of the self-assembled nanodiscs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Nano
January 2025
Bio-Organic Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
The morphology of nanodrugs is of utmost importance in photothermal therapy because it directly influences their physicochemical behavior and biological responses. However, clarifying the inherent relationship between morphology and the resultant properties remains challenging, mainly due to the limitations in the flexible morphological regulation of nanodrugs. Herein, we created a range of morphologically controlled nanoassemblies based on poly(ethylene glycol)--poly(d,l-lactide) (PEG-PLA) block copolymer building blocks, in which the model photosensitizer phthalocyanine was incorporated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug Deliv
December 2025
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Recent studies on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumorigenesis have revealed several dysregulated molecular pathways. The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is frequently activated in HNSCC, making it an attractive target for therapies. PHT-427 is a dual inhibitor of PI3K and the mammalian target of AKT/PDK1.
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