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Metabolically Active, Fully Hydrolysable Polymersomes
Author(s) -
Zhu Yunqing,
Poma Alessandro,
Rizzello Loris,
Gouveia Virginia M.,
RuizPerez Lorena,
Battaglia Giuseppe,
Williams Charlotte K.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201814320
Subject(s) - polymersome , polyester , chemistry , amphiphile , polycaprolactone , polyhydroxyalkanoates , ether , copolymer , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , polymer , biology , bacteria , genetics
The synthesis and aqueous self‐assembly of a new class of amphiphilic aliphatic polyesters are presented. These AB block polyesters comprise polycaprolactone (hydrophobe) and an alternating polyester from succinic acid and an ether‐substituted epoxide (hydrophile). They self‐assemble into biodegradable polymersomes capable of entering cells. Their degradation products are bioactive, giving rise to differentiated cellular responses inducing stromal cell proliferation and macrophage apoptosis. Both effects emerge only when the copolymers enter cells as polymersomes and their magnitudes are size dependent.