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Abstract
Self-assembly of amphiphilic macromolecules has provided an advantageous platform to address significant issues in a variety of areas, including biology. Such soft nanoparticles with a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona, referred to as micelles, have been extensively investigated for delivering lipophilic therapeutics by physical encapsulation. Polymeric vesicles or polymersomes with similarities in morphology to liposomes continue to play an essential role in understanding the behavior of cell membranes and, in addition, have offered opportunities in designing smart nanoformulations. With the evolution in synthetic methodologies to macromolecular precursors, the construction of such assemblies can now be modulated to tailor their properties to match desired needs. This review brings into focus the current state-of-the-art in the design of polymersomes using amphiphilic miktoarm star polymers through a detailed analysis of the synthesis of miktoarm star polymers with tuned lengths of varied polymeric arms, their self-assembly, and applications in drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojhdeh Baghbanbashi
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran 1591634311, Iran
| | - Ashok Kakkar
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
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Freire JJJ. Study of Segregation in Non-Dilute Solutions of Linear Diblock Copolymers and Symmetric Miktoarm (or Janus Star) Polymers Using Monte Carlo Simulations with the Bond Fluctuation Model. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13142377. [PMID: 34301134 PMCID: PMC8309646 DOI: 10.3390/polym13142377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The bond fluctuation model was employed to characterize the approach to the mesophase separation transition of pure linear AB copolymers and symmetric miktoarms, also called Janus, star polymers, Af/2Bf/2, where f = 6 or 12 is the total number of arms, in a common good solvent. We consider a concentration sufficiently high to mimic the melting behavior and also a lower concentration. The segregation between A and B units is represented by a repulsive interaction parameter, ε. Different total numbers of units are also considered. Results for different properties, such as the molecular size, the asphericity and orientational correlation of blocks, or arms, of different compositions are obtained as a function of the segregation parameter. We also calculate scattering structure factors. The initial effect of segregation on the scattering with opposite contrast factors between the A and B blocks can be explained with a common description based on the random phase approximation for both the linear copolymers and the f = 6 miktoarms, once the numerical form factors of the different molecules in their particular systems are considered. However, the results for f = 12 clearly deviate from this description probably due to some degree of ordering in the position of highly armed molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J J Freire
- Departamento de Ciencias y Técnicas Fisicoquímicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida de Esparta s/n, 28232 Las Rozas-Madrid, Spain
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Lotocki V, Yazdani H, Zhang Q, Gran ER, Nyrko A, Maysinger D, Kakkar A. Miktoarm Star Polymers with Environment-Selective ROS/GSH Responsive Locations: From Modular Synthesis to Tuned Drug Release through Micellar Partial Corona Shedding and/or Core Disassembly. Macromol Biosci 2020; 21:e2000305. [PMID: 33620748 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202000305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Branched architectures with asymmetric polymeric arms provide an advantageous platform for the construction of tailored nanocarriers for therapeutic interventions. Simple and adaptable synthetic methodologies to amphiphilic miktoarm star polymers have been developed in which spatial location of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) responsive entities is articulated to be on the corona shell surface or inside the core. The design of such architectures is facilitated through versatile building blocks and selected combinations of ring-opening polymerization, Steglich esterification, and alkyne-azide click reactions. Soft nanoparticles from aqueous self-assembly of these stimuli responsive miktoarm stars have low critical micelle concentrations and high drug loading efficiencies. Partial corona shedding upon response to ROS is accompanied by an increase in drug release, without significant changes to overall micelle morphology. The location of the GSH responsive unit at the core leads to micelle disassembly and complete drug release. Curcumin loaded soft nanoparticles show higher efficiencies in preventing ROS generation in extracellular and cellular environments, and in ROS scavenging in human glioblastoma cells. The ease in synthetic elaboration and an understanding of structure-property relationships in stimuli responsive nanoparticles offer a facile venue for well-controlled drug delivery, based on the extra- and intracellular concentrations of ROS and GSH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Lotocki
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Hossein Yazdani
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada.,Department of Chemistry, Shahid Beheshti University G.C., Tehran, 1983963113, Iran
| | - Qiaochu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Evan Rizzel Gran
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Anastasiia Nyrko
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Dusica Maysinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Ashok Kakkar
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada
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Abstract
Delivering active pharmaceutical agents to disease sites using soft polymeric nanoparticles continues to be a topical area of research. It is becoming increasingly evident that the composition of amphiphilic macromolecules plays a significant role in developing efficient nanoformulations. Branched architectures with asymmetric polymeric arms emanating from a central core junction have provided a pivotal venue to tailor their key parameters. The build-up of miktoarm stars offers vast polymer arm tunability, aiding in the development of macromolecules with adjustable properties, and allows facile inclusion of endogenous stimulus-responsive entities. Miktoarm star-based micelles have been demonstrated to exhibit denser coronae, very low critical micelle concentrations, high drug loading contents, and sustained drug release profiles. With significant advances in chemical methodologies, synthetic articulation of miktoarm polymer architecture, and determination of their structure-property relationships, are now becoming streamlined. This is helping advance their implementation into formulating efficient therapeutic interventions. This review brings into focus the important discoveries in the syntheses of miktoarm stars of varied compositions, their aqueous self-assembly, and contributions their formulations are making in advancing the field of drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashok Kakkar
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada;
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Sharma A, Kakkar A. Designing Dendrimer and Miktoarm Polymer Based Multi-Tasking Nanocarriers for Efficient Medical Therapy. Molecules 2015; 20:16987-7015. [PMID: 26393546 PMCID: PMC6332070 DOI: 10.3390/molecules200916987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
To address current complex health problems, there has been an increasing demand for smart nanocarriers that could perform multiple complimentary biological tasks with high efficacy. This has provoked the design of tailor made nanocarriers, and the scientific community has made tremendous effort in meeting daunting challenges associated with synthetically articulating multiple functions into a single scaffold. Branched and hyper-branched macromolecular architectures have offered opportunities in enabling carriers with capabilities including location, delivery, imaging etc. Development of simple and versatile synthetic methodologies for these nanomaterials has been the key in diversifying macromolecule based medical therapy and treatment. This review highlights the advancement from conventional "only one function" to multifunctional nanomedicine. It is achieved by synthetic elaboration of multivalent platforms in miktoarm polymers and dendrimers by physical encapsulation, covalent linking and combinations thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada.
| | - Ashok Kakkar
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada.
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Sharma A, Soliman GM, Al-Hajaj N, Sharma R, Maysinger D, Kakkar A. Design and evaluation of multifunctional nanocarriers for selective delivery of coenzyme Q10 to mitochondria. Biomacromolecules 2012; 13:239-52. [PMID: 22148549 PMCID: PMC4911219 DOI: 10.1021/bm201538j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Impairments of mitochondrial functions have been associated with failure of cellular functions in different tissues, leading to various pathologies. We report here a mitochondria-targeted nanodelivery system for coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) that can reach mitochondria and deliver CoQ10 in adequate quantities. Multifunctional nanocarriers based on ABC miktoarm polymers (A = poly(ethylene glycol (PEG), B = polycaprolactone (PCL), and C = triphenylphosphonium bromide (TPPBr)) were synthesized using a combination of click chemistry with ring-opening polymerization, self-assembled into nanosized micelles, and were employed for CoQ10 loading. Drug loading capacity (60 wt %), micelle size (25-60 nm), and stability were determined using a variety of techniques. The micelles had a small critical association concentration and were colloidally stable in solution for more than 3 months. The extraordinarily high CoQ10 loading capacity in the micelles is attributed to good compatibility between CoQ10 and PCL, as indicated by the low Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. Confocal microscopy studies of the fluorescently labeled polymer analog together with the mitochondria-specific vital dye label indicated that the carrier did indeed reach mitochondria. The high CoQ10 loading efficiency allowed testing of micelles within a broad concentration range and provided evidence for CoQ10 effectiveness in two different experimental paradigms: oxidative stress and inflammation. Combined results from chemical, analytical, and biological experiments suggest that the new miktoarm-based carrier provides a suitable means of CoQ10 delivery to mitochondria without loss of drug effectiveness. The versatility of the click chemistry used to prepare this new mitochondria-targeting nanocarrier offers a widely applicable, simple, and easily reproducible procedure to deliver drugs to mitochondria or other intracellular organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada
| | - Ghareb M. Soliman
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Noura Al-Hajaj
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Rishi Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada
| | - Dusica Maysinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Ashok Kakkar
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada
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