Quinone propionic acid‐based redox‐triggered polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery: Computational analysis and in vitro evaluation

Abstract

ABSTRACTRedox‐responsive polymers with pendant quinone propionic acid groups as a redox trigger were optimized by computational modeling to prepare efficient redox‐triggered polymer nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery. Lipophilicities at complete reduction of redox‐responsive polymers (<5000 Da) constructed with adipic acid and glutaric acid were remarkably reduced to range from −6.29 to −0.39 compared with nonreduced state (18.87–32.46), suggesting substantial polymer solubility reversal in water. Based on this hypothesis, redox‐responsive NPs were prepared from the synthesized polymers with paclitaxel as model cancer drug. The average size of paclitaxel‐loaded NPs was 249.8 nm and their reconstitutions were stable over eight weeks. In vitro drug release profiles demonstrated the NPs to release >80% of paclitaxel over 24 h at a simulated redox‐state compared with 26.5 to 41.2% release from the control. Cell viability studies revealed that the polymer was nontoxic and the NPs could release paclitaxel to suppress breast cancer cell growth. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40461.