Amphiphilic PEG-Dendron Hybrids as a Modular Platform for Enzyme-Responsive Nanocarriers

Ido Rosenbaum, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Enzyme-responsive micelles show great promise as drug delivery platforms due to the high selectivity of the activating enzymes. We have developed a modular design for the efficient and simple synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers composed of linear hydrophilic polyethyleneglycol (PEG) block and an enzyme-responsive dendron as the hydrophobic block. These hybrids self assemble in water into micellar nanocarriers due to their amphiphilic nature, which can disassemble and fully release their encapsulated or covalently attached molecular cargo upon enzymatic activation. Such smart amphiphilic hybrids are fascinating materials that could potentially be use as nanocarriers with adjustable release rates for biomedical delivery applications.