Hybrid protein-polymer nanoparticles based on P(NVCL-co-DMAEMA) loaded with cisplatin as a potential anti-cancer agent

Abstract

Responsive polymers are a promising class of materials for a variety of applications, especially for the construction of biomedical devices such as novel drug delivery systems. In this work, we describe the synthesis of thermoresponsive protein-polymer conjugates with a phase-transition slightly higher than physiological temperature. Such conjugates could enable targeted drug delivery through the bloodstream with aggregation and accumulation at cancer tissue. Random copolymers composed of N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) and 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were grafted from bovine serum albumin (BSA) by Cu(0)-mediated radical polymerization. The obtained BSA-P(NVCL0.7-co-DMAEMA0.3) conjugates are, to the best of our knowledge, the first example of protein-polymer conjugates with PNVCL and revealed a cloud point around 40 °C. Furthermore, these conjugates were evaluated for their suitability as drug delivery vehicles for the anti-cancer drug cisplatin which still causes serious side effects when used as a free drug. BSA is known to bind cisplatin and the synthesized conjugates revealed a high cisplatin loading capacity and a significant cytotoxic profile against human breast cancer cells. Thus, these new smart hybrid materials may serve as potential carriers for the delivery of drugs or other applications in the biomedical area, especially in the field of anti-cancer treatment.