Selective Accumulation to Tumor Cells with Coacervate Droplets Formed from a Water-Insoluble Acrylate Polymer

Selective targeting of specific cells without the use of biological ligands has not been achieved. In the present study, we revealed that the coacervate droplets formed from poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) and its derivatives selectively accumulated to tumor cells. PMEA derivatives, which are insoluble acrylate polymers, induced coacervation in water to form polymer-dense droplets via hydrophobic interaction. Interestingly, the accumulation of coacervate droplets to tumor cells was involved in the bound water content of PMEA derivatives. Coacervate droplets with a high bound water content accumulated and internalized up to 36.6-fold higher in HeLa cervical tumor cells than in normal human fibroblasts (NHDF). Moreover, the interactions between coacervate droplets and plasma membrane components such as CD44 played a key role in this accumulation process. Therefore, coacervate droplets formed from PMEA derivatives have great clinical potential in tumor cell detection, development of alternative tumor-targeting ligands, and optimization of drug delivery carriers.