Study on the α-cyclodextrin/poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembly supramolecular nanoparticles for drug delivery

This paper reports the synthesis and drug delivery properties of a novel supramolecular nanoparticle. alpha-Cyclodextrins (alpha-CD) were threaded on cinnamic acid modified poly(ethylene glycol) to form inclusion complex nanoparticles by supramolecular self-assemble. The anti-tumor drug doxorubicin was loaded in the nanoparticles and released in vitro to study the drug release behavior and the anti-tumor effects. The structure and morphology of the nanoparticles were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet absorbance, dynamic laser scattering, scanning electronic microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atom force microscopy. The distribution of the drug loaded nanoparticles in cells and the anti-tumor effects were studied by confocal laser microscopy. The results demonstrate that the supramolecular nanoparticle is biocompatible and it is a promising carrier for drug delivery systems.