Enzyme and Thermal Dual Responsive Amphiphilic Polymer Core–Shell Nanoparticle for Doxorubicin Delivery to Cancer Cells

Dual responsive polymer nanoscaffolds for administering anticancer drugs both at the tumor site and intracellular compartments are made for improving treatment in cancers. The present work reports the design and development of new thermo- and enzyme-responsive amphiphilic copolymer core–shell nanoparticles for doxorubicin delivery at extracellular and intracellular compartments, respectively. A hydrophobic acrylate monomer was tailor-made from 3-pentadecylphenol (PDP, a natural resource) and copolymerized with oligoethylene glycol acrylate (as a hydrophilic monomer) to make new classes of thermo and enzyme dual responsive polymeric amphiphiles. Both radical and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) methodologies were adapted for making the amphiphilic copolymers. These amphiphilic copolymers were self-assembled to produce spherical core–shell nanoparticles in water. Upon heating, the core–shell nanoparticles underwent segregation to produce larger sized aggregates above the lower critica...