BCMs as nanocarriers are capable of releasing the payload when stimulated by the tumor’s acidic micro-environment or during its exposure to an intravenously managed chemical compound like mannitol.
According to the research team, BCMs are smarter when compared to stimuli-responsive cross-linked micelles, which are nanoparticles used as nanocarrier systems for target-specific drug delivery. Since BCMs can respond to many stimuli, they can be used as tools for achieving the multi-phase delivery of medicines to the complicated in-vivo tumor micro-environment.
BCMs release medicines depends on the self-assembly of catechol-containing polymers and boronic acid-containing polymers, as both these polymers increase the sensitivity of BCMs to pH changes of the environment. The team has improved the stimuli-response of BCMs to mannitol and acidic pH as well as their stability.
BCMs are capable of delivering the medicines on demand inside the acidic micro-environment of tumors or even within the acidic cellular compartments when absorbed by the target cancer cells. It can also be triggered to discharge the medicine via the intravenously administered mannitol.