Thavasyappan Thambi

Stimuli-sensitive injectable polymeric hydrogels are one of the promising delivery vehicles for the controlled release of bioactive agents. In aqueous solutions, these polymers are able to switch sol-to-gel transitions in response to various stimuli including pH, temperature, light, enzyme and magnetic field. Therapeutic agents, including chemotherapeutic agents, protein drugs or cells, are easily mixed with the low-viscous polymer solution at room temperature. Therapeutic-agents-containing solu

Hypoxia, a condition in which the tissue is deprived of adequate oxygen supply, is a salient feature of various intractable diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ischemic stroke, and solid tumors. In particular, hypoxic regions in tumors are often associated with invasiveness, metastasis, and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Given its unique role in tumor progression, hypoxia has been considered to be a primary target for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Owing to their size

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality and remains a major challenge for modern chemotherapy. Recent advances in cancer therapy have made a modest impact on patient survival. Nanomedicine represents an innovative field with significant potential to improve cancer treatment. Nanomedicine utilizes numerous nanoconstructs, including polymersomes, micelles, and drug conjugates, to deliver therapeutic agents at the target site of interest. In particular, polymeric vesicles, also known as polymersom

Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate)s bearing the disulfide bond (PEG-SS-PBLGs), which is specifically cleavable in intracellular compartments, were prepared via a facile synthetic route as a potential carrier of camptothecin (CPT). Diblock copolymers with different lengths of PBLG were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of benzyl glutamate N-carboxy anhydride in the presence of a PEG macroinitiator (PEG-SS-NH(2)). Owing to their amphiphilic nature, the copolymers formed sp

Bioreducible carboxymethyl dextran (CMD) derivatives are synthesized by the chemical modification of CMD with lithocholic acid (LCA) through a disulfide linkage. The hydrophobic nature of LCA allows the conjugates (CMD-SS-LCAs) to form self-assembled nanoparticles in aqueous conditions. Depending on the degree of LCA substitution, the particle diameters range from 163 to 242 nm. Doxorubicin (DOX), chosen as a model anticancer drug, is effectively encapsulated into the nanoparticles with high loa

Stimuli-sensitive polymersomes, composed of amphiphilic block copolymers, have emerged as a promising nanocarrier for triggered release of anticancer drugs. In this study, we synthesized a bioreducible, amphiphilic triblock copolymer based on poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lysine)-b-poly(caprolactone) bearing a disulfide bond (PEG-b-PLys-SS-PCL). Owing to its unique amphiphilicity, the copolymer formed self-assembled polymersomes (256 nm diameter) under aqueous conditions. These polymersomes were

<i>In situ</i>-gel-forming thermoresponsive copolymers have been widely exploited in controlled delivery applications because their critical gel temperature is similar to human body temperature. However, there are limitations to controlling the delivery of biologics from a hydrogel network because of the poor networking and reinforcement between the copolymer networks. This study developed an <i>in situ</i>-forming robust injectable and 3D printable hydrogel network based on cellulose nanocrysta

Hollow and microporous organic network spheres decorated with folic acids (H-MON-FA) were prepared using silica templates by the Sonogashira coupling of organic building blocks and successive post-synthetic modifications. The drug (DOX) delivery performance of H-MON-FA to cancer cells was studied.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVCommunicationNEXTTriple-, Double-, and Single-Shelled Hollow Spheres of Sulfonated Microporous Organic Network as Drug Delivery MaterialsJune Young JangJune Young JangDepartment of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, KoreaMore by June Young Jang, Thai Minh Duy LeThai Minh Duy LeSchool of Chemical Engineering, Theranostic Macromolecules Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, KoreaMore by Thai Minh Duy Le, Ju Hong KoJu Hong KoDepartment

"Smart" biomaterials that are responsive to pathological abnormalities are an appealing class of therapeutic platforms for the development of personalized medications. The development of such therapeutic platforms requires novel techniques that could precisely deliver therapeutic agents to the diseased tissues, resulting in enhanced therapeutic effects without harming normal tissues. Among various therapeutic platforms, injectable pH-responsive biomaterials are promising biomaterials that respon