Abstract
The family of poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) is being increasingly investigated in the context of biomedical applications. We tested the relative cytotoxicity of POx and were able to confirm that these polymers are typically not cytotoxic even at high concentrations. Furthermore, we report structure-uptake relationships of a series of amphiphilic POx block copolymers that have different architectures, molar mass and chain termini. The rate of endocytosis can be fine-tuned over a broad range by changing the polymer structure. The cellular uptake increases with the hydrophobic character of the polymers and is observed even at nanomolar concentrations. Considering the structural versatility of this class of polymers, the relative ease of preparation and their stability underlines the potential of POx as a promising platform candidate for the preparation of next-generation polymer therapeutics.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 73-82 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Controlled Release |
Volume | 153 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 15 2011 |
Keywords
- amphiphilic block copolymer
- biocompatibility
- drug delivery
- endocytosis
- flow cytometry
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmaceutical Science