Abstract
Thermoresponsive nanogels (NGs) are often used as smart nanocarriers for delivering bioactive molecules. Copolymerization of monomers with different functionalities is a well-known technique that enables the tuning of their properties. Here, the synthesis of positively charged thermoresponsive NGs is reported, based on (N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAM) as a thermoresponsive monomer, 2-dimethyl(aminoethyl) methacrylate (DMAEM) as a charged comonomer, and dendritic acrylated polyglycerol (dPG) as a macro-crosslinker. The NGs are characterized in terms of size, Z potential, and transition temperature. In order to evaluate its potential for anticancer therapy, the encapsulation and release of anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin (DOXO) and methotrexate (MTX) are tested. A high drug loading capacity and release rate make these NGs promising nanocarriers for biomedical applications.
DOI Link to Publication