Preparation of microparticles composed of amphiphilic poly(gamma-glutamic acid) through hydrophobic interactions

作者：Shima Fumiaki; Schulte Bjoern; Keul Helmut; Moeller Martin; Akashi Mitsuru^*

来源：Polymer Journal, 2014, 46(3): 184-188.

DOI：10.1038/pj.2013.74

• amphiphilic copolymer
• drug delivery
• hydrophobic interaction
• microparticles
• poly(gamma-glutamic acid)
• self-assembly

A novel amphiphilic graft copolymer composed of poly(gamma-glutamic acid) (gamma-PGA) as a hydrophilic backbone and dodecylamine (DOA) as a hydrophobic side chain (gamma-PGA-DOA) was successfully synthesized by employing 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) as the coupling reagent. The grafting degree was stoichiometrically controlled by adjusting the feeding amounts of DOA and EDC in the reaction system. gamma-PGA-DOA, with a grafting degree of 55%, self-assembled via hydrophobic interactions and formed microparticles (MPs; diameter of 13 +/- 3 mu m) in an aqueous solution. These MPs possessed functional carboxylic groups and could be further modified with compounds such as drugs, proteins and peptides, and thus have great potential as vaccine carriers.

• 出版日期2014-3