Self-assembled, Ellipsoidal Polymeric Nanoparticles for Intracellular Delivery of Therapeutics.

Nanoparticle shape has emerged as a key regulator of nanoparticle transport across physiological barriers, intracellular uptake, and biodistribution. We report a facile approach to synthesize ellipsoidal nanoparticles through self-assembly of poly(glycerol sebacate)-co-poly(ethylene glycol) (PGS-co-PEG). The PGS-PEG nanoparticle system is highly tunable, and the semiaxis length of the nanoparticles can be modulated by changing PGS-PEG molar ratio and incorporating therapeutics. As both PGS and PEG are highly biocompatible, the PGS-co-PEG nanoparticles show high hemo-, immuno-, and cytocompatibility. Our data suggest that PGS-co-PEG nanoparticles have the potential for use in a wide range of biomedical applications including regenerative medicine, stem cell engineering, immune modulation, and cancer therapeutics. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2048-2058, 2018.