title: Microfluidics-based single-step preparation of injection-ready polymeric nanosystems for medical imaging and drug delivery.
abstract: Translation of therapeutic polymeric nanosystems to patients and industry requires simplified, reproducible and scalable methods for assembly and loading. A single-step in-line process based on nanocoprecipitation of oxazoline-siloxane block copolymers in flow-focusing poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidics was designed to manufacture injection-ready nanosystems. Nanosystem characteristics could be controlled by copolymer concentration, block length and chemistry, microchannel geometry, flow rate, aqueous/organic flow rate ratio and payload concentration. The well-tolerated nanosystems exhibited differential cell binding and payload delivery and could confer sensitivity to photodynamic therapy to HeLa cancer cells. Such injection-ready nanosystems carrying drugs, diagnostic or functional materials may facilitate translation to clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Nanomedicine Research Lab CLINAM, University Hospital Basel, Bernoullistrasse 20, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland. Patrick.Hunziker@swissnano.org.
authors.forename: Kegang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xueya
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hierlemann
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hunziker
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D004337:Drug Carriers; C013830:baysilon