Effect of polymer nature and architecture on body fate

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The rational development of an effective drug delivery system requires the understanding of the complex interplay between the drug carrier and the biological system. However, the knowledge concerning the detailed fate of polymeric drug carriers is still limited due to the fact that many analytical techniques available in cell cultures cannot be applied in vivo. Here we set out to investigate, characterise and understand the role of controlled macromolecule engineering in biological settings with the specific aim to develop synthetic objects with controllable length-scales and adequate body distribution to be used as polymeric carriers for targeted drug delivery. In order to achieve this goal, it is proposed to develop a family of polymers with different properties, such as, charge density, conformational structure or biodegradability rate and to use non-invasive monitoring techniques to study, systematically, their behaviour in in vivo systems.The innovations in our proposal stem from two recent advances in our individual laboratories: Use of Advanced Conjugate Therapeutics, with innovative controlled polymer synthesis strategies and bioresponsive chemistries to give their unique properties. A novel set of non-invasive imaging techniques providing unique information on body fate. The availability of ESR, MRI and Fluorescence techniques for small animals can provide unique information. This ERA network is a focused cluster of excellence that brings together internationally competitive research groups on advanced nanoconjugate therapeutics from the Prince Felipe Research Center (CIPF, Spain), and from Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany), a research group with unique imaging technologies. ERA-chemistry group leaders have demonstrated expertise through high impact publications in the thematic areas and bring these skills together for the first time as a team to form a powerful new interdisciplinary and curiosity-driven consortium.