Development of degradable nanostructured biomaterials

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Current nanotechnology, drawing from research in polymer chemistry, has focused on the development of multifunctional nanoscale devices that have potential for biological application. Stimuli-responsive degradation has been a method of choice for the development of novel nanomaterials. Well-defined amphiphilic block copolymers (ABPs), comprising both hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks, have been used as building blocks to construct effective nanostructured materials through self-assembly. Polylactide (PLA) and its copolymers are biocompatible and FDA-approved for clinical use; however, one critical problem for successful biological applications of PLA-based nanomaterials is to improve the slow and uncontrolled release of encapsulated biomolecules. This research program in polymer chemistry at the biology interface focuses on the development of advanced PLA-based degradable bionanomaterials with various architectures and functionalities. These nanomaterials will be made of well-defined ABPs containing a cleavable PLA (cPLA) block that cleaves in response to external stimuli (low pH, thiols, and light) to ensure rapid, controllable release of encapsulated molecules, thus providing versatility in smart delivery. Our research results are expected to promote hydrophobic aliphatic polyesters toward widespread pharmaceutical application. Further, our research program will be expanded beyond the initial scope to address problems in other areas of polymer and materials science at the biology interface.