title: Development of Core-Shell Nanostructures by In Situ Assembly of Pyridine-Grafted Diblock Copolymer and Transferrin for Drug Delivery Applications.
abstract: We previously reported the coassembly of various proteins with poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) to form core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPs). However, P4VP suffers from its cytotoxicity and in vivo toxicity, which prohibit it from many potential biomedical applications. Here, pyridine-grafted diblock copolymer poly(caprolactone-graft-pyridine)-block-poly(caprolactone) [P(CL-g-Py)-b-PCL] was prepared through a combination of ring-opening polymerization and Cu(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. CSNPs could be readily constructed by the self-assembly of transferrin (Tf) and P(CL-g-Py)-b-PCL, which showed a narrower range of particle sizes, improved stability, and higher loading capacity for anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), compared with similar particles prepared from the coassembly of Tf and P4VP. Additionally, the drug-loaded Tf/P(CL-g-Py)-b-PCL CSNPs could effectively target MCF7 cancer cells via the binding of Tf to transferrin receptors (TfR).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina , Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina , Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina , Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina , Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States.
authors.forename: Chuanbing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina , Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002208:Caproates / Q000737:chemistry; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000737:chemistry; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014168:Transferrin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D002208:Caproates; D004337:Drug Carriers; D007783:Lactones; D011108:Polymers; D011145:Polyvinyls; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014168:Transferrin; C019535:poly(4-vinylpyridine); C121056:caprolactone; D004317:Doxorubicin