pH responsive soft nanoclusters with size and charge variation features

Abstract

Size and surface properties of a drug delivery vehicle play a very crucial role in determining its biological fate. The success of nanotherapeutic systems depends on several features such as deeper tumor tissue penetration, good retention and rapid cellular uptake. These properties are strongly influenced by the size and surface properties of the delivery vehicles. In this study, we demonstrate a polymeric nanoparticle that exhibits the size and surface charge variation features in response to slight changes in pH, which are biologically relevant (pH 7.4 to 6.5). These features have been demonstrated using a pH sensitive interparticle crosslinking by dynamic covalent imine bond formation between nanogels. The pH sensitive interparticle crosslinking is demonstrated using DLS, TEM, SEC, fluorescamine assay and cell uptake study.