Long circulating biodegradable polymeric micelles: Towards targeted drug delivery

Abstract Biodegradable thermosensitive block copolymers (mPEG-b-p(HEMAm-Lac n )) were partially methacrylated and self-assembled in water into micelles above their critical micelle temperature. Polymerisation of the methacrylate groups resulted in core crosslinked micelles which displayed a superior biodistribution profile and tumour accumulation as compared to non crosslinked micelles in tumour bearing mice. To ameliorate the very low cellular uptake (in vitro), functionalised micelles exposing thiol reactive moieties on the shell surface were developed.