MULTIFUNCTIONAL POLYMERS AND NANOSTRUCTURES FOR ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTITUMOR THERAPY

Abstract

In recent years, both bacterial infections and cancers have been of great concern to public healthcare, and have caused severe worldwide health problems. In this thesis, taking advantage of the acidic microenvironment of bacterial infection sites and tumors, a series of pH-sensitive multifunctional polymers and nanostructures were designed and developed for effective treatment of bacterial infection and cancer therapy. A smart pH-sensitive zwitterionic polymer, poly(N’-citraconyl-2-(3-aminopropyl-N,N-dimethyl ammonium)ethyl methacrylate), was first prepared for acidity triggered bacterial targeting and antimicrobial therapy. Two types of pH-sensitive theranostic nanoparticle systems were subsequently developed to achieve effective bacterial targeting, fluorescence imaging and single/dual-modal antimicrobial therapy. Lastly, a pH-sensitive dextran-based drug delivery system was prepared via a copper-free azide-propiolate ester cycloaddition for effective chemotherapy of cancer. The pH-sensitive multifunctional polymers and nanoplatforms developed in the present work thus exhibit effective therapeutic efficacy for bacterial infection and cancer treatments.