Strawberry-shaped hybrid dendritic prodrug-based unimolecular micelles for improved drug release performance and real-time in-site fluorescence imaging

Abstract

Dendritic polymer-based unimolecular micelles have attracted more interest in tumor chemotherapy. However, the drug release behavior was significantly affected by the hydrophilic-hydrophobic property of the dendritic cores. In the present work, carbon quantum dot (CQD) was used as a bridge between the dendritic core and drug to achieve a better drug release performance for imaging-mediated therapy. Strawberry-shaped hybrid prodrug was designed with a DOX content of 16.7%. The resultant hybrid unimolecular micelles with a mean hydrodynamic diameter of around 82 nm showed sustained acid-triggered DOX release with minimized drug leakage, possessing enhanced anti-tumor efficacy compared to free DOX. Furthermore, the fluorescence of the hybrid unimolecular micelles could be turned on for imaging-guided cancer therapy after tumor intracellular drug release.

Graphical Abstract