A Methyl Methacrylate-HEMA-CL n Copolymerization Investigation: From Kinetics to Bioapplications

Effect of the side ethylene glycol and hydroxyl groups on the polymerization kinetics of oligo(ethylene glycol methacrylates). An experimental and modeling investigation

Polymerization of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (POEGMMA₃₀₀) and oligo(ethylene glycol) hydroxyethyl methacrylate (POEGHEMA).

Understanding copolymerisation kinetics for the design of functional copolymers via free radical polymerisation

We report the free radical copolymerisation kinetics and co-monomer sequence distribution for a series of functional copolymers based on MMA.

Synthesis and Nanoprecipitation of HEMA-CLn Based Polymers for the Production of Biodegradable Nanoparticles

The control over the size distribution and stability of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) is crucial in many of their applications, especially in the biomedical field. These characteristics are typically influenced by the production method and the nature of the starting material. To investigate these aspects, the controlled radical polymerization of functionalized methacrylates constituted by 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) functionalized with a controlled number of ε-caprolactone (CL) units (HEMA-CL_n), was carried out via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) in solution. The living reaction allows for good control over the molar mass of the final polymer with a low molar mass dispersity. The obtained polymer solutions were nanoprecipitated in order to produce NPs suitable for drug delivery applications with narrow particle size distribution and a wide size range (from 60 to 250 nm). The NP synthesis has been performed using a mixing device, in order to control the parameters involved in the nanoprecipitation process. As already seen for similar systems, the size of the produced NPs is a function of the polymer concentration during the nanoprecipitation process. Nevertheless, when the polymer concentration is kept constant, the NP size is influenced by the chemical structure of the polymer used, in terms of the presence of PEG (poly(ethylene glycol)), the degree of RAFT polymerization, and the length of the caprolactone side chain. These characteristics were also found to influence the stability and degradation properties of the produced NPs.

Polymer Nanoparticle Engineering for Podocyte Repair: From in Vitro Models to New Nanotherapeutics in Kidney Diseases

Specific therapeutic targeting of kidney podocytes, the highly differentiated ramified glomerular cells involved in the onset and/or progression of proteinuric diseases, could become the optimal strategy for preventing chronic kidney disease. With this aim, we developed a library of engineered polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) of tuneable size and surface properties and evaluated their interaction with podocytes. NP cytotoxicity, uptake, and cytoskeletal effects on podocytes were first assessed. On the basis of these data, nanodelivery of dexamethasone loaded into selected biocompatible NPs was successful in repairing damaged podocytes. Finally, a three-dimensional in vitro system of co-culture of endothelial cells and podocytes was exploited as a new tool for mimicking the mechanisms of NP interaction with glomerular cells and the repair of the kidney filtration barrier.

Polylactic acid macromonomer radical propagation kinetics and degradation behaviour

Polylactic acid (PLA) macromonomer radical homopropagation rate coefficients are evaluated as a function of average macromonomer chain length. Hydrolysis studies of nanoparticles (NP) produced from PLA macromonomers demonstrate the importance of end-group functionality on NP degradation time.