Two‐Photon‐Sensitive and Sugar‐Targeted Nanocarriers from Degradable and Dendritic Amphiphiles

Abstract

Increasing efforts are being put into the light‐sensitive polymeric micelles that hold great potential for drug/gene/small interfering RNA delivery. However, these polymeric micelles lack highly efficient tumor‐targeting properties and near‐infrared light sensitivity, and often exhibit an uncontrollable drug‐release profile. To address these problems, a new strategy is introduced that combines sugar‐triggered targeting (active targeting) and two‐photon sensitivity to afford a degradable and dendritic micellar nanocarrier, in which the desired sugar residues and light‐responsive groups can be modularly conjugated and/or altered. A clinical anticancer drug, doxorubicin, can be released in a controlled manner by changing the light irradiation time, which is induced by the gradual disruption of micelles in aqueous solution. The glucose‐ and lactose‐coated micelles further demonstrate specific binding with the lectins Concanavalin A and Ricinus communis agglutinin, respectively, which makes them useful as targeted drug‐delivery vesicles.