Irene Piergentili, Pepijn R Bouwmans, Luuk Reinalda, Reece W Lewis, Benjamin Klemm, Huanhuan Liu, Robin M de Kruijff, Antonia G Denkova, Rienk Eelkema
In certain tumor and diseased tissues, reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as H2 O2 , are produced in higher concentrations than in healthy cells. Drug delivery and release systems that respond selectively to the presence of ROS, while maintaining their stability in "healthy" biological conditions, have great potential as on-site therapeutics. This study presents polymer micelles with 4-(methylthio)phenyl ester functionalities as a ROS-responsive reactivity switch. Oxidation of the thioether moieties triggers ester hydrolysis, exposing a hydrophylic carboxylate and leading to micellar disassembly...
April 19, 2022: Polymer Chemistry