title: Micellar nanocontainers distribute to defined cytoplasmic organelles.
abstract: Block copolymer micelles are water-soluble biocompatible nanocontainers with great potential for delivering hydrophobic drugs. An understanding of their cellular distribution is essential to achieving selective delivery of drugs at the subcellular level. Triple-labeling confocal microscopy in live cells revealed the localization of micelles in several cytoplasmic organelles, including mitochondria, but not in the nucleus. Moreover, micelles change the cellular distribution of and increase the amount of the agent delivered to the cells. These micelles may thus be worth exploring for their potential to selectively deliver drugs to specified subcellular targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada.
authors.forename: Radoslav
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Savic
authors.forename: Laibin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Adi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
authors.forename: Dusica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maysinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001386:Azides / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D004058:Diffusion; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005453:Fluorescence; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008823:Micelles; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D036103:Nanotechnology; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000737:chemistry; D012995:Solubility; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D001386:Azides; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005452:Fluoresceins; D007783:Lactones; D008823:Micelles; C400421:PLC(20)-b-PEO(44); D011108:Polymers; D012235:Rhodamines; C474107:tetramethylrhodamine-5-carbonylazide; C074109:5-(N-dodecanoyl)aminofluorescein; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D005027:Ethylene Oxide