A new strategy to design a multifunctional mixed Pluronic micelle system aiming to overcome weaknesses of normal Pluronic when used as drug delivery systems will be presented. Pluronic are popular drug delivery systems known to form micelles. The specific advantages of Pluronic-based micelles as drug carriers lie in 1) biocompatibility and nontoxicity, 2) feasibility of structural and functional modification, 3) ability to encapsulate water-insoluble bioactive drugs and 4) commercial availability. However, Pluronic micelles suffer from several weak points which have impeded further applications. Pluronics normally have relatively high CMCs which consequently decrease the micelle stability in human body, leading to micelle disintegration and sudden burst of drug. Additionally Pluronic systems have relatively low hydrophobic drug loading capacity.<br/><br/>By chemical modification of Pluronic, F127 (PEO-PPO-PEO, Mn=12,500 g/mol) and reversed Pluronic, 10R5 (PPO-PEO-PPO, Mn=2000 g/mol) with folic acid and quercetin, respectively, increase the drug loading capability was increased and the CMC was lowered. Folic acid was covalently conjugated to the chain ends of F127 to introduce a cancer cell-targeting functionality. Hydrophobic quercetin (as a combinatory drug for Doxorubicin (DOX)) was anchored to the PPO chain ends of 10R5 to increase interaction with hydrophobic drugs. Colloidal probe AFM further indicated that the adhesion force between DOX coated probe and quercetin anchored Pluronic was approximately doubled compared to the adhesion between DOX and unmodified Pluronic. The release rate of the anti-cancer drug DOX was also lowered and the release time was increased.<br/>

Mixed micelles of chemically modified Pluronic as drug delivery system

251st National Meeting (2016)

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