Synthesis of Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate/Acrylic Acid Nanoparticles as Nanocarriers for the Controlled Delivery of Doxorubicin to Colorectal Cancer Cells

Abstract

Doxorubicin (Dox) is known for its potential to deliver desirable anticancer effects against various types of cancer including colorectal cancer. However, the adverse effects are serious. This study aimed to synthesize polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA)/acrylic acid (AA)-based nanoparticles (PEGDA/AA NPs) for Dox delivery to colorectal cancer cells. The NPs were synthesized using free-radical polymerization reaction using the monomers PEGDA and AA with their physical properties, drug loading and release, biocompatibility, and anticancer effect evaluated. The NPs were spherical with a size of around 230 nm, with a 48% Dox loading efficiency and with loading capacity of 150 µg/mg. Intriguingly, the NPs had the ability to prolong the release of Dox in vitro over 24 h and were non-toxic to intestinal epithelial cells. Dox-loaded PEGDA/AA NPs (Dox-NPs) were able to effectively kill the colorectal cancer cell line (HT-29) with the Dox-NPs accumulating inside the cell and killing the cell through the apoptosis pathway. Overall, the synthesized PEGDA/AA NPs exhibit considerable potential as a drug delivery carrier for colon cancer-directed, staged-release therapy.

Fluorophore-Tagged Poly-Lysine RAFT Agents: Controlled Synthesis of Trackable Cell-Penetrating Peptide–Polymers

“…In addition to the acrylamide monomer DMA, RAFT agent 1 successfully induced the controlled polymer-ization of hydrophilic 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (2HEA) and aromatic styrene under identical conditions. 1 H NMR and GPC characterization (Figures S4−S6) confirmed that 3Lys-P(2HEA) was obtained with an M w of ∼44 kDa reached in 4 h (Supporting Information).…”

“…The RAFT agents 1−4 polymerized at a rate similar to that of the unmodified DDMAT, indicating that the addition of the fluorophore or the peptide did not inhibit the rate of radical transfer. The polymer sizes were determined by 1 H NMR (polymer backbone resonances integrated relative to the RAFT agent's terminal CH 3 ) and GPC (Figures S1 and S2). Determination of the final monomer conversion by 1 H NMR allowed the calculation of the theoretical molecular weights as a percentage of the initial target molecular weight (i.e., 7.5 and 50 kDa) to which the mass of the RAFT agents was added.…”

“…The polymer sizes were determined by 1 H NMR (polymer backbone resonances integrated relative to the RAFT agent's terminal CH 3 ) and GPC (Figures S1 and S2). Determination of the final monomer conversion by 1 H NMR allowed the calculation of the theoretical molecular weights as a percentage of the initial target molecular weight (i.e., 7.5 and 50 kDa) to which the mass of the RAFT agents was added. Polymers were also characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy with polymers of the same size showing similar fluorescence intensities at the same concentration (Figure S3).…”

Aggressive strategies for regenerating intervertebral discs: stimulus-responsive composite hydrogels from single to multiscale delivery systems

“…In an ex vivo rabbit IVDD model, MPs exhibited leak-proof and enhanced MSC viability and allowed NP-like differentiation, 130 and this stimulus-responsive cell culture-based strategy facilitated the delivery of MSCs to the in vivo IVD for NP regeneration. This multiscale delivery system assembly model also shows bright promise for drug delivery, such as the PEGDA/AA hydrogel nanoparticles synthesized by Yin et al 131 via a free radical polymerization reaction, which were able to deliver doxorubicin (Dox) to colorectal cancer cells at high loading and encapsulation rates and demonstrated nontoxicity to intestinal epithelial cells. Strontium ranelate (SrR) was encapsulated by cationic polysaccharide glycolide chitosan (GCS) nanoparticles embedded in PEGDA hydrogels, a drug scaffold that was noncytotoxic in vitro , sustained stable release of SrR in vivo and promoted significant bone regeneration.…”

Shape-Tunable UV-Printed Solid Drugs for Personalized Medicine

“…DOX has been widely used as a chemotherapeutic drug to treat numerous types of cancer. Moreover, DOX is a very potent drug and a cost-effective compound compared to other therapeutic agents [19][20][21][22]. In particular, a photoinitiator is added into the prepolymers for photopolymerization [23], the photoinitiator is important in printing efficiency [24].…”