Rational Design of Self-Reporting Polymersomes for the Controlled Release of Sulfur Dioxide

作者：Zhezhe Li, Yue Zhang, Shuzhen Wang, Yihan Wu, Hailong Che · 发表于：ACS Macro Letters · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00687 · 被引用次数：11 · 研究领域：Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization、Odor and Emission Control Technologies、Antimicrobial agents and applications

As a new member of the gaseous regulators, sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) plays a crucial role in many biological activities. Recent studies have shown that SO 2 is capable of inducing cancer cell apoptosis by regulating intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), allowing SO 2 to serve as an efficient therapeutic agent. Although various polymer-based platforms have presented great potential for the controlled release of SO 2, most of the systems are incapable of monitoring the intracellular generation of SO 2 . In this work we present the rational design of SO 2 -releasing biodegradable polymersomes, accompanied by a self-reporting property. The polymersome consists of a hydrophilic block of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and a hydrophobic segment of poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC)-based SO 2 donors. The polymersomes not only exhibit good SO 2 -releasing performance upon treatment with glutathione (GSH), but can also regulate the fluorescence change of the system, offering a good platform for real-time monitoring of the intracellular production of SO 2 . Significantly, the in vitro and in vivo studies indicate the potential for exploitation of these polymersomes as antitumor agents. We expect that incorporating both the SO 2 -releasing capacity and self-reporting feature within a polymersome system will provide a unique opportunity for the development of intelligent gas nanovehicles.