Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1096, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
NCCR-Molecular Systems Engineering, Mattenstrasse 24a, BPR 1095, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 20;23(10):5718. doi: 10.3390/ijms23105718.
Nano- and micrometer-sized compartments composed of synthetic polymers are designed to mimic spatial and temporal divisions found in nature. Self-assembly of polymers into compartments such as polymersomes, giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), layer-by-layer (LbL) capsules, capsosomes, or polyion complex vesicles (PICsomes) allows for the separation of defined environments from the exterior. These compartments can be further engineered through the incorporation of (bio)molecules within the lumen or into the membrane, while the membrane can be decorated with functional moieties to produce catalytic compartments with defined structures and functions. Nanometer-sized compartments are used for imaging, theranostic, and therapeutic applications as a more mechanically stable alternative to liposomes, and through the encapsulation of catalytic molecules, i.e., enzymes, catalytic compartments can localize and act in vivo. On the micrometer scale, such biohybrid systems are used to encapsulate model proteins and form multicompartmentalized structures through the combination of multiple compartments, reaching closer to the creation of artificial organelles and cells. Significant progress in therapeutic applications and modeling strategies has been achieved through both the creation of polymers with tailored properties and functionalizations and novel techniques for their assembly.
由合成聚合物组成的纳米级和微米级隔间旨在模拟自然界中发现的空间和时间划分。聚合物自组装成隔间，如聚合物囊泡、巨大的单分子层囊泡（GUV）、层层（LbL）胶囊、帽状囊泡或聚离子复合物囊泡（PICsomes），可以将定义的环境与外部隔离开来。这些隔间可以通过在腔室内或膜内掺入（生物）分子来进一步设计，而膜可以用功能部分进行修饰，以产生具有定义结构和功能的催化隔间。纳米级隔间可用于成像、治疗和治疗应用，作为比脂质体更机械稳定的替代物，并且通过封装催化分子，即酶，催化隔间可以在体内定位和起作用。在微米尺度上，此类生物混合系统用于封装模型蛋白，并通过组合多个隔间形成多隔间结构，更接近人工细胞器和细胞的创建。通过具有定制特性和功能化的聚合物的创建以及用于其组装的新的技术，在治疗应用和建模策略方面都取得了重大进展。
