Jinqi Xu

Facile, efficient approach to accomplish tunable chemistries and variable biodistributions for shell cross-linked nanoparticles.

The in vivo behavior of shell cross-linked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles is shown to be tunable via a straightforward and versatile process that advances SCKs as attractive nanoscale carriers in the field of nanomedicine. Tuning of the pharmacokinetics was accomplished by grafting varied numbers of methoxy-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) chains to the amphiphilic block copolymer precursors, together with chelators for the radioactive tracer and therapeutic agent (64)Cu, followed by self-assembly into block copolymer micelles and chemical cross-linking throughout the shell regions. (64)Cu-radiolabeling was then performed to evaluate the SCKs in vivo by means of biodistribution experiments and positron emission tomography (PET). It was found that the blood retention of PEGylated SCKs could be tuned, depending on the mPEG grafting density and the nanoparticle surface properties. A semiquantitative model of the density of mPEG surface coverage as a function of in vivo behavior was applied to enhance the understanding of this system.

SCKs as nanoparticle carriers of doxorubicin: investigation of core composition on the loading, release and cytotoxicity profiles

SCK nanoparticles having differing core thermal characteristics were designed and evaluated as thermoresponsive drug delivery systems of doxorubicin for the killing of cancerous cells.