Synergistic effect of liquid crystal and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane to prepare molecularly imprinted polymer for paclitaxel delivery

A strategy based on the synergistic effect of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and liquid crystal (LC) was described to prepare molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). A typical polymerization system was composed of 4-methyl phenyl dicyclohexyl ethylene (MPDE)(LC monomer), methacryllsobutyl POSS (POSS monomer), methacrylic acid, as well as ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA). The cooperative effect of LC and POSS was demonstrated by comparing the adsoption amount and imprinting factor of the LC POSS MIPs with that of other MIPs prepared using only LC or POSS monomer, as well as MIP made without LC and POSS. The influence of the content of POSS, the ratio of the template to functional monomer as well as the types of LC monomer on imprinting performance was investigated. A detailed morphology study of the MIPs displayed that the simultaneous use of LC and POSS monomer to prepare MIPs also produced the changes in pore structure different from the use of LC or POSS monomer independently. The reinforced imprinted effect of LC POSS MIPs against paclitaxel (PTX) was also approved by superior controlled release characteristics through analyzing the PTX release kinetics. The cytotoxicity of each polymer was lower than the drug-loaded polymer, which was measured by using the MTT assay with human breast cancer cell (MCF-7 cell). Compared with pure PTX, LC POSS MIPs displayed a higher relative bioavailability of 242.5%, while the LC POSS-free control MIPs and POSS LC-free control MIPs only 127.4 and 63.2%, respectively.