A facile strategy to construct fluorescent pH-sensitive drug delivery vehicle

Aliphatic polyesters have led to significant advancements in drug delivery systems spanning decades owing to their biocompatibility and biodegradability . A series of pH-sensitive aliphatic polyesters were synthesized by facile enzymatic polymerization , which could be post-modified by click chemistry to form multifunctional graft copolymers . Typically, the hydrophilic methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) and fluorescent coumarin were grafted onto the polyester backbone to constitute a multifunctional amphipathic graft copolymer , serving as a trackable pH-responsive drug delivery vehicle . This amphipathic graft copolymer could encapsulate hydrophobic doxorubicin (DOX) via self-assembly in aqueous solutions and performed superior controlled drug release . And the in vitro cellular uptake and cytotoxicity results showed the feasibility of this system for drug delivery application. Collectively, this copolymer offers a potential route of constructing controlled drug delivery system.