Design of new multifunctional nanocarriers for protein delivery

Polymeric nanoparticles have been extensively investigated for their biomedical applications especially as drug carriers. However, efficient encapsulation and delivery of therapeutic proteins in targeted manner still present challenges. This project aims to develop a novel one-pot strategy to obtain nanoparticles able to carry proteins in their core, as well as bearing targeting and/or imaging agents on their surface. In addition to this objective, polymerizations are carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), which confers environmentally benign features to the process. Dispersion polymerizations of hydrophilic monomer 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in are carried out in scCO2 in the presence of an initiator, cross-linker and CO2-philic photoclevable stabilizer. Upon exposure to UV light, the o-nitrobenzyl junctions present at the surface of the particles are cleaved, thus providing water dispersible hydrogels. Spherical monodisperse nanoparticles were successfully synthesized in scCO2 with two different conditions. Milder reaction conditions were achieved by using 2,2'-Azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethyl valeronitrile (V70) as an initiator which opens up the platform for one-pot protein encapsulation in scCO2.