Low‐Fouling Fluoropolymers for Bioconjugation and In Vivo Tracking

Abstract

The conjugation of hydrophilic low‐fouling polymers to therapeutic molecules and particles is an effective approach to improving their aqueous stability, solubility, and pharmacokinetics. Recent concerns over the immunogenicity of poly(ethylene glycol) has highlighted the importance of identifying alternative low fouling polymers. Now, a new class of synthetic water‐soluble homo‐fluoropolymers are reported with a sulfoxide side‐chain structure. The incorporation of fluorine enables direct imaging of the homopolymer by 19F MRI, negating the need for additional synthetic steps to attach an imaging moiety. These self‐reporting fluoropolymers show outstanding imaging sensitivity and remarkable hydrophilicity, and as such are a new class of low‐fouling polymer for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking.

19F MRI Nanotheranostics for Cancer Management: Progress and Prospects

“…These nanoparticles demonstrated commendable cell uptake behaviors (2.6±0.1×10 12 19 F/cell) and favorable MRI performance that could be used for in vivo tracing and quantification of non‐phagocytic and therapy‐related cells. Fu et al [102] . used an ingenious design to synthesize a new class of water‐soluble and self‐reported polymers containing sulfoxide side chains with high fluorine content (25 wt%).…”

Polymeric 19F MRI Contrast Agents Prepared by Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization/Dihydroxylation

“…It is only very recently that water-soluble 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylamide-based homofluoropolymers featuring polar sulfoxide groups have been prepared by Whittaker and colleagues. 18 Ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), on the other hand, is known as one of the fastest, most versatile and functional-group-tolerant polymerization approaches that is also capable of efficiently polymerizing bulky monomers. Polydispersities are low and the polymerization degrees can be precisely controlled by altering the monomer to catalyst ratio, whereby monomers can be comprised of mono-or oligo-cyclic olefins.…”

Activatable 19F MRI Nanoprobes for Visualization of Biological Targets in Living Subjects

“…Instrument advance, such as increasing magnetic field strength, could considerably boost the sensitivity of 19 F MRI. [62] Besides, more 19 F-containing agents for contriving activatable 19 F MRI nanoprobes with high efficiency are under vigorous exploration, including those within common 19 F sources (e.g., TFMCs with high aqueous solubility [63] ) and from new 19 F sources (e.g., ILs [60] and inorganic fluoride nanoparticles [64] ). Furthermore, the development of novel activation strategies such as cascade activation [57] and the exploitation of innovative activation mechanisms such as activation based on the change of 19 F chemical shift [65][66][67] are also being actively explored for constructing high-performance activatable nanoprobes.…”