Multimodal and multifunctional stealth polymer nanospheres for sustained drug delivery

作者：Cameron W. Evans, Melissa J. Latter, Diwei Ho, Saquib Ahmed M. A. Peerzade, Tristan D. Clemons, Melinda Fitzgerald, Sarah A. Dunlop, K. Swaminathan Iyer · 发表于：New Journal of Chemistry · 年份：2012 · DOI：10.1039/c2nj40016b · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery、Luminescence and Fluorescent Materials、Dendrimers and Hyperbranched Polymers

We report the preparation of fluorescent and magnetic PMMA nanospheres, and a corresponding PEGylated ‘stealth’ analogue prepared using a block copolymer. The nanospheres contain encapsulated magnetite nanoparticles and fluorescent BODIPY dyes, including a new such dye with pH-sensitive fluorescent emission. The new dye could potentially be used as an indicator of the immediate physiological environment. The nanospheres were non-toxic at up to 500 μg ml−1 in PC12 cells. Lomerizine, a lipophilic calcium channel blocker, was also encapsulated in the nanospheres and displayed sustained, pH-dependent release characteristics. The nanospheres may be of use to release lomerizine and other water-insoluble drugs at central nervous system injury sites.