We designed, synthesized, and characterized a tri-block copolymer. Its hydrophobic part, a chain of histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) prodrug, was symmetrically flanked by two identical PEG blocks, whereas the built-in HDACi was a linear molecule, terminated with a thiol at one end, and a hydroxyl group at the other. Such a feature facilitated end-to-end linkage of prodrugs through alternatively aligned disulfides and carbonates. The disulfides served dual roles: redox sensors of smart nanomedicine, and warheads of masked HDACi drugs. This approach, carefully designed to benefit both control-release and efficacy, is conceptually novel for optimizing drug units in nanomedicine. Micelles from this designer polyprodrug released only PEG, CO2 and HDACi, and synergized with DOX against HCT116 cells, demonstrating its widespread potential in combination therapy. Our work highlights, for the first time, the unique advantage of thiol-based drug molecules in nanomedicine design.
Keywords: combination therapy; deacetylase; disulfide; nanomedicine; polyprodrug.
© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.