The possibility of introducing hydrolytically cleavable ester linkages onto the poly(N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) for the formation of less toxic and degradable polycations is shown in this work. For achieving this aim, the copolymerization behavior of 5,6‐benzo‐2‐methylene‐1,3‐dioxepane (BMDO), with N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) is studied by free radical ring‐opening polymerization. Structural characterization is performed using 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Under optimized reaction conditions, quantitative ring‐opening of BMDO took place during the copolymerizations leading to the formation of poly(DMAEMA‐co‐ester)s. Blocky random copolymers were further quaternized by alkyl bromide to generate degradable cation containing polymers. Cytotoxicity results were highly encouraging and showed less cytotoxicity as compared to polyethyleneimine, which was used as a positive control. The formation and characterization of highly stable copolymer/DNA polyplexes is also shown here.
The goal of this study was to investigate the suitability of poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC) nanoparticles as a novel drug delivery system, fulfilling the requirements for a long circulation time. Particles were obtained with a narrow size distribution and nearly neutral zeta potential. Adsorption studies with human plasma proteins revealed that PEC nanoparticles bind much less proteins in comparison to polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles. Cell experiments with fluorescently labeled PEC showed no uptake of the nanoparticles by macrophages. These novel PEC nanospheres with their unique surface properties are a promising candidate for long circulating drug delivery systems in vivo.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.