Polysulfenamides for the Delivery of Drugs and/or DNA to Cells
- Detailed Technology Description
- Inventor: Aliasger K SalemInventor: Ned B BowdenInventor: Jun YooInventor: Denison John Kuruvilla
- *Abstract
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Patent information: Pending | US 13/984,228
Background Information
Researchers at the University of Iowa have synthesized polysulfenamides—novel polymers—that enables safe drug delivery. Polymeric drug delivery requires the polymer to be biocompatible and biodegradable upon reaching the target area. These specific sites within the body are typically targeted for their high acidic properties where a specially designed synthetic stimuli responsive polymer reacts to the change in pH and then degrades into smaller particles that can easily be excreted as waste by the body. Today, there are many organic polymeric functional groups such as polyesters, polyamides, and polyanhydrides that are used alone or in combinations to form the synthetic bio-polymers suitable for drug delivery. Such species provide new applications and a multitude of complex drug delivery vehicles for synthesis. However, if the polymers fail to degrade properly, they will accumulate in the body and initiate a toxic response.
Technology Summary
Polysulfenamides are derived from reactions of secondary amines with thiols. They degrade in water to form amines and sulfenic acid—a powerful antioxidant linked to the medicinal benefits of garlic and onions. In addition, sulfenamides separate themselves from typical functional polymers because they are inorganic rather than organic. This is important for two reasons. First, the polysulfenamides provide the potential for new reactivities that differ from organic functional groups. Second, they have the potential to act as ligands for metal ions thereby increasing the possible functionalities that can be used in developing new vehicles for drug delivery.
Chemical stability studies showed no degradation in aprotic solvents and high stability in the polar protic solvents (allows for hydrogen bonding). Furthermore, sulfenamides degrade slowly in water at neutral pH, but they degrade rapidly under acidic conditions. This means that polysulfenamides can be expected to degrade in physiological environments rather than accumulate in organs and cause a toxic response. The polysulfenamides microparticles loaded with fluorescent dye that were internalized into cells with minimal toxicity. In addition, the microparticles showed no in vivo adverse effect when injected in mice
Advantages
• Biodegradeable and biocompaptible
• Novel polymer functional group to load drugs into
• Greater surface bonding properties than organic polymers
- *Licensing
- Sean KimSenior Licensing AssociateUniversity of Iowa Research FoundationPh: 319-335-4607hyeon-kim@uiowa.edu
- Country/Region
- USA
