Poly(citric acid)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers--new biocompatible hybrid materials for nanomedicine.

Linear-dendritic ABA triblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as B block and hyperbranched poly(citric acid) (PCA) as A blocks were synthesized through polycondensation. The molecular self-assembly of synthesized PCA-PEG-PCA copolymers in water led to formation of nanoparticles and fibers in different sizes and shapes depending on the time and size of PCA blocks. Ten days after dissolving PCA-PEG-PCA copolymers in water, the size of fibers had reached several millimeters. Mixing a water solution of fluorescein as a small guest molecule and PCA-PEG-PCA copolymers led to the encapsulation of fluorescein by products of molecular self-assembly. To investigate their potential application in nanomedicine and to understand the limitations and capabilities of these materials as nanoexcipients in biological systems, different types of short-term in vitro cytotoxicity experiments on the HT1080 cell line (human fibrosarcoma) and hemocompatibility tests were performed. From the clinical editor: This manuscript investigates the potentials of linear-dendritic ABA triblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as B block and hyperbranched poly(citric acid) (PCA) as A blocks for future applications in nanomedicine.