| 초록 |
Thermo-sensitive polymers have been attractive in biomedical applications, as their properties can be controlled by simply changing the temperature. In this study, alginate-based, thermally reversible, self-assembled polymeric micelles were designed for anti-cancer drug delivery. Alginate-g-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was synthesized by conjugation of amino-PNIPAAm to the alginate chain via carbodiimide chemistry. Alginate-g-PNIPAAm formed micelles at the body temperature and the size of the micelles was varied depending on the molecular weight of PNIPAAm, degree of substitution, and polymer concentration. Doxorubicin (DOX), used as a model anti-cancer drug, was efficiently encapsulated in the micelles, and was sustained released from the micelles. These micelles have passive tumor targeting ability by EPR effect. Finally, DOX-loaded alginate-g-PNIPAAm micelles showed enhanced anti-cancer efficacy in a tumor-bearing mouse model compared with soluble DOX alone. |
