Rapid cell division, reduced vasculature, and insufficient blood flow contribute to oxygen deprivation at the deep-seated tumor mass, leading to the onset of hypoxic regions in a broad range of cancers. We are synthesizing amphiphilic block copolymers by linking the hydrophobic and the hydrophilic blocks with a diazo linker. In hypoxic microenvironment, the diazo linker is reductively cleaved, separating the two polymeric blocks. We have prepared polymeric vesicles incorporating the synthesized hypoxia-responsive polymers. A synthesized tumor-penetrating peptide actively transports the vesicles deep inside the solid tumors. Subsequently, the polymersomes deliver anticancer drugs and imaging agents to hypoxic regions of pancreatic and prostate tumors. We have encapsulated a stemness gene transcription inhibitor in the vesicles and demonstrated their effectiveness in killing the cancer stem cells.

Stimuli-sensitive polymersomes for drug delivery to solid tumors

255th National Meeting (2018)

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