One Stone Several Birds: Self-Localizing Submicrocages with Dual Loading Points for Multifunctional Drug Delivery.

As the core index, how to improve bioavailability of loaded cargoes has been a hot topic of drug carriers. In our study, aminated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as cross-linking points was first integrated into three-dimensional poly(acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) network to build up a unique submicrocage (466.2± 47.6 nm), featuring upper critical solution temperature (UCST; ∼40 °C), high volume expansion coefficient and excellent biocompatibility. Hereinto hydrophobic β-elemene was locally loaded in β-CD with high loading efficiency (8.72%) and encapsulation efficiency (78.60%) through hydrophobic desolvation and host-guest interaction. Above UCST, the release of the loaded β-elemene was accelerated to 72.87% in 24 hours, together with the enhanced sensitization effect of synergized radiotherapy. Given spontaneous long-lasting delivery, targeted embolization, and post-treatment removal of such UCST-type submicrocage, it is anticipated to provide a novel, facile, efficient and versatile strategy of comprehensive anticancer treatments for high drug bioavailability. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.