This study represents a successful approach toward employing polycaprolactone–polyamidoamine (PCL–PAMAM) linear dendritic block copolymer (LDBC) nanoparticles as small-molecule carriers in NIR imaging and photothermal therapy. A feasible and robust synthetic strategy was used to synthesize a library of amphiphilic LDBCs with well-controlled hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic weight ratios. Systems with a hydrophobic weight ratio higher than 70% formed nanoparticles in aqueous media, which show hydrodynamic diameters of 51.6 and 96.4 nm. These nanoparticles exhibited loading efficiencies up to 21% for a hydrophobic molecule and 64% for a hydrophilic molecule. Furthermore, successful cellular uptake was observed via trafficking into endosomal and lysosomal compartments with an encapsulated NIR theranostic agent (C3) without inducing cell death. A preliminary photothermal assessment resulted in cell death after treating the cells with encapsulated C3 and exposing them to NIR light. The results of this work confirm the potential of these polymeric materials as promising candidates in theranostic nanomedicine.
This study summarizes the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of a library of biocompatible selfassembling Janus dendrimers (JDs) and their resulting nanostructures possessing either a cationic (NH 3 +), anionic (COO À), or neutral (OH) surface. Strategically designed for applications in therapeutic delivery, the dendrimers are comprised of a polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendron as the hydrophilic portion and fatty acid (FA) functionalized dendrons as the hydrophobic portion. The physicochemical characterization and in vitro cell viability of amphiphilic JDs were performed. Microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis indicate the size (i. e., diameters) of spherical nanoaggregates ranging from 40 to 100 nm with zeta-potential values ranging from À 17.9 to + 58.7 mV with respect to the terminal functional group of the JD employed. Furthermore, these systems exhibited spherical nanoaggregates with critical aggregate concentrations (CAC) ranging from 2.8 to 7.0 mg/L. At low concentrations (< 200 μg/mL), JDs nanoaggregates showed minimal cell growth inhibitory properties in the in vitro testing, demonstrating their safety. The results of this study prove that a simple yet strategic combination of chemically distinctive dendritic segments can afford a versatile library of unique JDs nanoplatforms with excellent potential for biomedical applications.
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