Robert Luxenhofer

Poly(2-oxazoline)s as Polymer Therapeutics

Poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) are currently discussed as an upcoming polymer platform for biomaterials design and especially for polymer therapeutics. POx meet specific requirements needed for the development of next-generation polymer therapeutics such as biocompatibility, high modulation of solubility, variation of size, architecture as well as chemical functionality. Although in the early 1990s first and promising POx-based systems were presented, the field lay dormant for almost two decades. Only very recently, POx-based polymer therapeutics came back into the focus of very intensive research. In this review, we give an overview on the chemistry and physicochemical properties of POx and summarize the research of POx-protein conjugates, POx-drug conjugates, POx-based polyplexes and POx micelles for drug delivery.

Overcoming the PEG-addiction: well-defined alternatives to PEG, from structure–property relationships to better defined therapeutics

Synthetic methods in polymer chemistry have evolved tremendously during the last decade. Nowadays more and more attention is devoted to the application of those tools in the development of the next generation of nanomedicines. Nevertheless, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) remains the most frequently used polymer for biomedical applications. In this review, we try to summarize recent efforts and developments in controlled polymerisation techniques that may allow alternatives to PEG based systems and can be used to improve the properties of future polymer therapeutics.

Doubly amphiphilic poly(2-oxazoline)s as high-capacity delivery systems for hydrophobic drugs

Solubilization of highly hydrophobic drugs with carriers that are non-toxic, non-immunogenic and well-defined remains a major obstacle in pharmaceutical sciences. Well-defined amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers based on poly(2-oxazolines) were prepared and used for the solubilization of Paclitaxel (PTX) and other water-insoluble drugs. Probing the polymer micelles in water with the fluorescence probe pyrene, an unusual high polar microenvironment of the probe was observed. This coincides with an extraordinary large loading capacity for PTX of 45 wt.% active drug in the formulation as well as high water solubility of the resulting formulation. Physicochemical properties of the formulations, ease of preparation and stability upon lyophilization, low toxicity and immunogenicity suggest that poly(2-oxazoline)s are promising candidates for the delivery of highly challenging drugs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PTX is fully active and provides superior tumor inhibition as compared to the commercial micellar formulation.

Structure-property relationship in cytotoxicity and cell uptake of poly(2-oxazoline) amphiphiles

The family of poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) is being increasingly investigated in the context of biomedical applications. We tested the relative cytotoxicity of POx and were able to confirm that these polymers are typically not cytotoxic even at high concentrations. Furthermore, we report structure-uptake relationships of a series of amphiphilic POx block copolymers that have different architectures, molar mass and chain termini. The rate of endocytosis can be fine-tuned over a broad range by changing the polymer structure. The cellular uptake increases with the hydrophobic character of the polymers and is observed even at nanomolar concentrations. Considering the structural versatility of this class of polymers, the relative ease of preparation and their stability underlines the potential of POx as a promising platform candidate for the preparation of next-generation polymer therapeutics.

Tailored Poly(2-oxazoline) Polymer Brushes to Control Protein Adsorption and Cell Adhesion

POx bottle-brush brushes (BBBs) are synthesized by SIPGP of 2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline and consecutive LCROP of 2-oxazolines on 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane-modified silicon substrates. The side chain hydrophilicity and polarity are varied. The impact of the chemical composition and architecture of the BBB upon protein (fibronectin) adsorption and endothelial cell adhesion are investigated and prove extremely low protein adsorption and cell adhesion on BBBs with hydrophilic side chains such as poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline). The influence of the POx side chain terminal function upon adsorption and adhesion is minor but the side chain length has a significant effect on bioadsorption.

From Defined Reactive Diblock Copolymers to Functional HPMA-Based Self-Assembled Nanoaggregates

This paper describes the synthesis of functional amphiphilic poly( N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide)-block-poly(lauryl methacrylate) copolymers by RAFT polymerization via the intermediate step of activated ester block copolymers (pentafluoro-phenyl methacrylate). Block copolymers with molecular weights from 12000-28000 g/mol and PDIs of about 1.2 have been obtained. The amphiphilic diblock copolymers form stable super structures (nanoaggregates) by self-organization in aqueous solution. The diameters of these particles are between 100 and 200 nm and depend directly on the molecular weight of the block copolymer. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of these nanoaggregates on cell viability and on the motility of adherent cells. Cytotoxicity was investigated by the MTS test and the fluctuation in cell shape was monitored employing ECIS (electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing). In these investigations, the formed particles are not cell toxic up to a concentration of 2 mg/mL. Thus, our polymeric particles offer potential as polymer therapeutics.

The uptake of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methacrylamide based homo, random and block copolymers by human multi-drug resistant breast adenocarcinoma cells.

A series of well-defined, fluorescently labelled homopolymers, random and block copolymers based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methacrylamide were prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT polymerization). The polydispersity indexes for all polymers were in the range of 1.2-1.3 and the number average of the molar mass (M(n)) for each polymer was set to be in the range of 15-30 kDa. The cellular uptake of these polymers was investigated in the human multi-drug resistant breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF7/ADR. The uptake greatly depended on the polymer molecular mass and structure. Specifically, smaller polymers (approx. 15 kDa) were taken up by the cells at much lower concentrations than larger polymers (approx. 30 kDa). Furthermore, for polymers of the same molar mass, the random copolymers were more easily internalized in cells than block copolymers or homopolymers. This is attributed to the fact that random copolymers form micelle-like aggregates by intra- and interchain interactions, which are smaller and less stable than the block copolymer structures in which the hydrophobic domain is buried and thus prevented from unspecific interaction with the cell membrane. Our findings underline the need for highly defined polymeric carriers and excipients for future applications in the field of nanomedicine.

Protein Modification with Amphiphilic Block Copoly(2-oxazoline)s as a New Platform for Enhanced Cellular Delivery

Several homopolymers, random copolymers and block copolymers based on poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) were synthesized and conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) using biodegradable and nonbiodegradable linkers. These conjugates were characterized by amino group titration, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), isoelectric focusing, enzymatic activity assay and conformation analysis. The conjugates contained on average from about one to two polymer chains per enzyme. From 70% to 90% of enzymatic activity was retained in most cases. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis revealed that HRP modification affected the secondary structure of the apoprotein but did not affect the tertiary structure and heme environment. Enhanced cellular uptake was found in the conjugates of two block copolymers using both MDCK cells and Caco-2 cells, but not in the conjugates of random copolymer and homopolymer. Conjugation with a block copolymer of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-butyl-2-oxazoline led to the highest cellular uptake as compared to other conjugates. Our data indicates that modification with amphiphilic POx has the potential to modulate and enhance cellular delivery of proteins.

Stabilization of Virus‐like Particles with Poly(2‐oxazoline)s

Since the introduction of virus like particles (VLPs), as nanoscale building blocks,[1] they have become a favored material to fill the gap between supramolecular chemistry and microfabricated systems for medicine, materials science, and biotechnology. One great advantage of VLPs is their precisely defined structures, forming capsules for the packaging of proteins, catalysts, small molecules and other entities,[2] as well as for the display of functional molecules on their outer surfaces.[3] The stabilities of chemically modified particles are often approximately the same as the underivatized scaffolds, but in some cases stability is decreased.[4]

Synergistic Combinations of Multiple Chemotherapeutic Agents in High Capacity Poly(2-oxazoline) Micelles

Many effective drugs for cancer treatment are poorly water-soluble. In combination chemotherapy, needed excipients in additive formulations are often toxic and restrict their applications in clinical intervention. Here, we report on amphiphilic poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) micelles as a promising high capacity delivery platform for multidrug cancer chemotherapy. A variety of binary and ternary drugs combinations of paclitaxel (PTX), docetaxel (DTX), 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), etoposide (ETO) and bortezomib (BTZ) were solubilized in defined polymeric micelles achieving unprecedented high total loading capacities of up to 50 wt % drug per final formulation. Multidrug loaded POx micelles showed enhanced stability in comparison to single-drug loaded micelles. Drug ratio dependent synergistic cytotoxicity of micellar ETO/17-AAG was observed in MCF-7 cancer cells and of micellar BTZ/17-AAG in MCF-7, PC3, MDA-MB-231 and HepG2 cells.