06/27/2012

Polymeric Vesicles for Theranostic Applications

Summary

Nanosized vesicles have potential as drug carriers or diagnostic agents because of their ability to entrap and release molecules into their core region in a controlled way. An easy and robust route was developed to fabricate uniform porphysomes consisting of porphyrin-polylactide (PPLA) conjugates that can overcome the obstacles faced with previous systems. The Bio-SANS beamline at the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was used to characterize these new particles and identify the hollow shell structure characteristic of vesicles. These PPLA porphysomes may have potential as a new and stable platform for drug delivery and ultrasonic imaging, especially in cancer theranostics. This research was featured on the Sept. 28, 2012, cover of Chemical Communications.

References

Hsu, C.-Y., M.-P. Nieh, and P.-S. Lai. 2012. “Facile Self-Assembly of Porphyrin-Embedded Polymeric Vesicles for Theranostic Applications,” Chemical Communications 48, 9343–45. (Reference link)