Formation of polymersomes with double bilayers templated by quadruple emulsions
Formation of polymersomes with double bilayers templated by quadruple emulsions
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DOI：
10.1039/c3lc41112e
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发表时间：
2013-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
6.1
通讯作者：
Weitz, David A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kim, Shin-Hyun;Nam, Jin;Weitz, David A.
聚合体是由两亲性嵌段共聚物的双层膜组成的囊泡，是生物活性物质长期储存和控制释放的理想载体；与脂质体相比，膜稳定性的增强使得聚合体在广泛的生物传递应用中具有潜在的用途。然而，当受到外部应力时，单层结构本身就很脆弱。在这里，我们报道了一种微流体方法来生产双双层聚合物体，比单层聚合物体具有更高的稳定性和更低的渗透性。为了实现这一目标，我们开发了一种新设计的毛细管微流控装置来生产四乳液滴，作为聚合体中的聚合体的模板。当两个双分子层被聚合体中聚合体的耗尽所吸引时，内部的聚合体突出并发芽，形成双分子层。我们通过微吸和选择性掺杂纳米颗粒的方法证实了这些结构确实是双双层结构。所合成的聚合体具有作为高度稳定和生物相容性微载体的巨大潜力，可用于药物、化妆品和营养物质等生物活性物质的强封装和储存。
Polymersomes, vesicles composed of bilayer membranes of amphiphilic block-copolymers, are promising delivery vehicles for long-term storage and controlled release of bioactives; enhanced stability of the membrane makes polymersomes potentially useful in a wide range of biological delivery applications by comparison with liposomes. However, unilamellar structure is intrinsically fragile when subjected to external stress. Here, we report a microfluidic approach to produce polymersomes with double bilayers, providing higher stability and lower permeability than unilamellar polymersomes. To achieve this, we developed a new design of a capillary microfluidic device to produce quadruple-emulsion drops which serve as a template for the polymersomes-in-polymersomes. When two bilayers are attracted by depletion in polymersomes-in-polymersomes, the inner polymersomes protrude and bud, forming double bilayers. We confirm these structures are indeed double bilayers using microaspiration and selective doping of the leaflets with nanoparticles. The resultant polymersomes have great potential as highly stable and biocompatible microcarriers for robust encapsulation and storage of bioactives such as drugs, cosmetics and nutrients.