Dually crosslinked degradable polyionic micelles for sustained glucose-responsive insulin release

Biomater Sci. 2024 Jun 11;12(12):3202-3211. doi: 10.1039/d4bm00314d.

Abstract

Glucose -sensitive delivery systems hold great promise as a therapeutic approach for high-incidence diabetes owing to their ability to release insulin whenever elevated glycemia is detected. However, they are unstable in a hyperglycemic environment, which leads to short-term sustained insulin release. Herein, we designed dually crosslinked insulin polyionic micelles (DCM@insulin) based on triblock polymers of o-glycol and phenylboronic acid-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(dimethylamino carbonate)-poly(dimethylamino-trimethylene carbonate) (mPEG-P(AC-co-MPD)-PDMAC and mPEG-P(AC-co-MAPBA)-PDMATC, respectively) for sustained glucose-responsive insulin release. DCM@insulin with a phenylboronic acid ester structure (first crosslinking structure) enhanced glycemic responsiveness by regulating insulin release in a hyperglycemic environment. Additionally, the UV-crosslinking structure (second crosslinking structure) formed by the residual double bonds in AC units endowed DCM@insulin with the ability to effectively protect the loaded insulin against protease degradation and avoid burst release under multiple insulin release. The in vivo findings demonstrated that DCM@insulin effectively maintained glycemic levels (BGLs) within the normal range for 6 h in comparison to single-crosslinked micelles (SCM@insulin). Therefore, the glucose-responsive and dually crosslinked polyionic micelle system exhibits potential as a viable option for the treatment of diabetes.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / drug effects
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Boronic Acids / chemistry
  • Boronic Acids / pharmacology
  • Cross-Linking Reagents / chemistry
  • Delayed-Action Preparations / chemistry
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Drug Liberation*
  • Glucose* / chemistry
  • Glucose* / metabolism
  • Insulin* / administration & dosage
  • Insulin* / chemistry
  • Insulin* / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Micelles*
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry

Substances

  • benzeneboronic acid
  • Blood Glucose
  • Boronic Acids
  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Delayed-Action Preparations
  • Drug Carriers
  • Glucose
  • Insulin
  • Micelles
  • Polyethylene Glycols