Design of Functional Polymeric Micelles as a Carrier for Anticancer Drug Delivery

Abstract

Polymeric micellar nanoparticles are frequently utilized as drug delivery carriers due to their particular core/shell structure, ease of functionalization, sustained circulation in the blood and its ability to passively accumulate in leaky tumor tissues. Two important factors that should be considered in the design of polymeric micelles are kinetic stability and drug loading capacity. In this thesis, we investigate the use of polymeric micelles self-assembled from biodegradable and amphiphilic polycarbonate-based copolymers bearing pendent functionalities for anti-cancer drug delivery to address these problems. Different strategies in designing the micellar structures were investigated and discussed with the number and distribution of pendent functional groups varied upon encapsulation of anti-cancer drugs of choice, doxorubicin or sorafenib. The drug-loaded polycarbonate micellar structures were fabricated, characterized and investigated in vitro cell culture and in vivo cancer models. Functional groups for active targeting to tumor tissues were also assessed. The functionalized polycarbonate-based polymeric micelles successfully demonstrate its potential as a desirable drug delivery carrier.