Synthesis, Morphology, and Rheological Evaluation of HPMA (N-2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylamide)-PCL (Polycaprolactone) Conjugates

In cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT), improved efficiency of photosensitizer delivery to tumors may be obtained by binding them to targetable water soluble polymeric carriers. However, attachment of photosensitizers to Macromolecular carriers may alter their spectral and photosensitizing properties. In this study, a new monosubstituted phthalocyanine derivative, N-glycyl zinc(II) 4,9,16,23-tetraaminophthalocyanine (G-TAPC-Zn) was synthesized by the reaction of zinc(II) 4,9,16,23-tetraaminophthalocyanine (TAPC-Zn) with N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-glycine N'-hydroxybenzotriazole ester followed by deprotection of the tert-butoxycarbonyl (BOC) group. G-TAPC-Zn contains an aliphatic amino group suitable for attachment to water soluble polymeric carriers. By aminolysis of a polymeric precursor, an N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer containing oligopeptide (GFLG) side-chains terminated in p-nitrophenyl ester groups, with G-TAPC-Zn a polymeric derivative of the latter (P-GFLGG-TAPC-Zn) was synthesized. Spectral data indicated that in aqueous solutions P-GFLGG-TAPC-Zn formed aggregates. The degree of aggregation decreased with increasing concentration of detergents or organic solvents in buffer solutions. Consequently, the release of the drug from carrier catalyzed by thiol proteinases, papain or cathepsin B, took place only in the presence of detergents or organic solvents, i.e., under conditions with a lower probability of aggregate formation. Binding of G-TAPC-Zn to HPMA copolymers decreased the quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation from 0.24 to 0.063 and significantly increased its resistance to photobleaching.

Aqueous Cu-RDRP ofN-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide was optimized to achieve co(polymers) of low dispersity and controlled molecular weight at high conversions.

The interaction of multi-LacNAc (Galβ1-4GlcNAc)-containing N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers with human galectin-1 (Gal-1) and the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of human galectin-3 (Gal-3) was analyzed using NMR methods in addition to cryo-electron-microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments. The interaction with individual LacNAc-containing components of the polymer was studied for comparison purposes. For Gal-3 CRD, the NMR data suggest a canonical interaction of the individual small-molecule bi- and trivalent ligands with the lectin binding site and better affinity for the trivalent arrangement due to statistical effects. For the glycopolymers, the interaction was stronger, although no evidence for forming a large supramolecule was obtained. In contrast, for Gal-1, the results indicate the formation of large cross-linked supramolecules in the presence of multivalent LacNAc entities for both the individual building blocks and the polymers. Interestingly, the bivalent and trivalent presentation of LacNAc in the polymer did not produce such an increase, indicating that the multivalency provided by the polymer is sufficient for triggering an efficient binding between the glycopolymer and Gal-1. This hypothesis was further demonstrated by electron microscopy and DLS methods.

We report nanoassemblies based on block copolymers of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) in which drug cleavage enhances the biological compatibility of the original polymer carrier by regeneration of HPMA units.