The research team led by Professor Guofan Jin published a study titled "Based on sodium alginate coatings and dendritic copolymeric modification of curcumin delivery system: pH-sensitive nanospheres and strong tumor cytotoxicity" in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137962). This study combines post-polymerization modification of dendritic polymers with sodium alginate coatings to develop a novel delivery system for curcumin. Advanced imaging techniques and bioactivity assays were employed to validate the effectiveness of the carrier design in cancer treatment, providing a basis for the development of curcumin delivery systems for intravenous or oral administration.
The study aims to address the challenges of curcumin’s poor bioavailability and stability by proposing a new drug delivery strategy. The authors report the use of curcumin to modify poly(vinyl dimethylammonium) (PVDMA) through post-polymerization modification, resulting in the formation of curcumin-dendrimer conjugates with sodium alginate coatings for drug delivery. Both curcumin-polymer conjugates demonstrated excellent fluorescence properties, with quantum yields of 0.486 and 0.470, respectively. The composites were characterized as spherical nanoparticles with an ideal size of 221.7 nm and a high negative surface charge, making them suitable for drug delivery and controlled release. In vitro release studies revealed that the conjugates exhibit pH-sensitive, controlled release of curcumin, potentially facilitating targeted delivery to cancerous sites. Additionally, biodistribution studies in mice showed high exposure levels in the gastrointestinal tract. Cell imaging confirmed the strong permeability of the conjugates across cancer cell membranes. The Cur-PVDMA-Diaza conjugate exhibited potent targeting and inhibition effects against various cancer cell lines, with a maximum inhibition rate of approximately 90%
Chaitian Tian, a master's student in Pharmaceutical Engineering (Class of 2023), is the first author, with Professor Guofan Jin from our institution serving as the corresponding author. Jiangsu University School of Pharmacy is the sole institution for both the first and corresponding authors.
