Thermosensitive Nanoparticles with pH-Triggered Degradation and Release of Anti-inflammatory Cell-Penetrating Peptides

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate) [poly(NIPAm-AMPS)] nanoparticles can be cross linked with hydrolytically degradable N,O-dimethacryloyl hydroxylamine (DMHA) in order to yield a pH-sensitive drug delivery system that slowly erodes above pH 5.0. Varying the composition of degradable DMHA and nondegradable MBA cross-linking allows for engineered variation of particle size and degradation kinetics. Utilizing sulfated comonomer AMPS provides for increased passive loading of anti-inflammatory mitogen-activated; protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2)-inhibiting cell penetrating peptide KAFAKLAARLYRKALARQLGVAA (KAFAK) between 24.3% and 29.2% (w/w) for nanoparticles with 5 mol % cross-linker. Nanoparticles were shown to be nontoxic in vitro and were effective at delivering a therapeutically active dose of KAFAK to THP1 human monocytes to suppress tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) expression during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. This thermosensitive nanoparticle system is an excellent platform for passive diffusive loading in deionized water and release in physiologically relevant ionic strength media of environmentally sensitive peptide therapeutics.