Impact of Poly(Ester Amide) Structure on Properties and Drug Delivery for Prostate Cancer Therapy

Junfu Zhang; Liying Wang; Mengting Ding; Xinru You; Jun Wu; Jun Pang

doi:10.34133/bmef.0025

Impact of Poly(Ester Amide) Structure on Properties and Drug Delivery for Prostate Cancer Therapy

BME Front. 2023 Aug 10:4:0025. doi: 10.34133/bmef.0025. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Junfu Zhang¹, Liying Wang², Mengting Ding¹, Xinru You³, Jun Wu^{2

4

5}, Jun Pang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urology, Kidney and Urology Center, Pelvic Floor Disorders Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
² Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
³ Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
⁴ Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering Thrust, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Nansha, Guangzhou 511400, China.
⁵ Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Abstract

Objective: We aim to develop a polymer library consisting of phenylalanine-based poly(ester amide)s (Phe-PEAs) for cancer therapy and investigate the structure-property relationship of these polymers to understand their impact on the drug delivery efficiency of corresponding nanoparticles (NPs). Impact Statement: Our study provides insights into the structure-property relationship of polymers in NP-based drug delivery applications and offers a potential polymer library and NP platform for enhancing cancer therapy. Introduction: Polymer NP-based drug delivery systems have demonstrated substantial potential in cancer therapy by improving drug efficacy and minimizing systemic toxicity. However, successful design and optimization of these systems require a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between polymer structure and physicochemical properties, which directly influence the drug delivery efficiency of the corresponding NPs. Methods: A series of Phe-PEAs with tunable structures was synthesized by varying the length of the methylene group in the diol part of the polymers. Subsequently, Phe-PEAs were formulated into NPs for doxorubicin (DOX) delivery in prostate cancer therapy. Results: Small adjustments in polymer structure induced the changes in the hydrophobicity and thermal properties of the PEAs, consequently NP size, drug loading capacity, cellular uptake efficacy, and cytotoxicity. Additionally, DOX-loaded Phe-PEA NPs demonstrated enhanced tumor suppression and reduced side effects in prostate tumor-bearing mice. Conclusion: Phe-PEAs, with their finely tunable structures, show great promise as effective and customizable nanocarriers for cancer therapy.