Polymersome

<h2 id="preparation">Preparation</h2>
Several different morphologies of the block copolymer used to create the polymersome have been used. The most frequently used are the linear diblock or triblock copolymers. In these cases, the block copolymer has one block that is <a href="/facts/Hydrophobic/Ifya0CXQ">hydrophobic</a>; the other block or blocks are <a href="/facts/Hydrophilic/k8p95WYu">hydrophilic</a>. Other morphologies used include comb copolymers,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> where the backbone block is hydrophilic and the comb branches are hydrophobic, and <a href="/facts/Dendronized_block_copolymers/2b4uoKo9">dendronized block copolymers</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> where the <a href="/facts/Dendrimer/3aXUKBej">dendrimer</a> portion is hydrophilic.
In the case of diblock, comb and dendronized copolymers the polymersome membrane has the same <a href="/facts/Lipid_bilayer/CQKQ9l3g">bilayer</a> morphology of a liposome, with the hydrophobic blocks of the two layers facing each other in the interior of the membrane. In the case of triblock copolymers the membrane is a <a href="/facts/Monolayer/b2mVH8FR">monolayer</a> that mimics a bilayer, the central block filling the role of the two facing hydrophobic blocks of a bilayer.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>
In general they can be prepared by the methods used in the preparation of liposomes. Film rehydration, direct injection method or dissolution method.

<h2 id="uses">Uses</h2>
Polymersomes that contain active enzymes and that provide a way to selectively transport substrates for conversion by those enzymes have been described as nanoreactors.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>
Polymersomes have been used to create controlled release <a href="/facts/Drug_delivery/vDfboXeT">drug delivery</a> systems.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> Similar to coating liposomes with <a href="/facts/Polyethylene_glycol/tC7xBFwr">polyethylene glycol</a>, polymersomes can be made invisible to <a href="/facts/Immune_system/HRCTf1pb">the immune system</a> if the hydrophilic block consists of polyethylene glycol.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a> Thus, polymersomes are useful carriers for targeted medication.
For <a href="/facts/In_vivo/kWcWyl6f">in vivo</a> applications, polymersomes are <a href="/facts/De_facto/3Du6WQKh">de facto</a> limited to the use of <a href="/facts/Food_and_Drug_Administration/rCEnh9WB">FDA</a>-approved polymers, as most pharmaceutical firms are unlikely to develop novel <a href="/facts/Polymers/eF32E50K">polymers</a> due to cost issues. Fortunately, there are a number of such polymers available, with varying properties, including:
Hydrophilic blocks

<ul><li><a href="/facts/Polyethylene_glycol/tC7xBFwr">Poly(ethylene glycol)</a> (PEG/PEO)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a></li>
<li>Poly(2-methyloxazoline)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a></li></ul>
Hydrophobic blocks

<ul><li><a href="/facts/Silicone/4AX8YA5m">Polydimethylsiloxane</a> (PDMS)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Polycaprolactone/sYJNULEH">Poly(caprolactone</a> (PCL)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Polylactic_acid/QHoY2H5I">Poly(lactide)</a> (PLA)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18">18</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19">19</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Acrylic_glass/CnCRBo5F">Poly(methyl methacrylate)</a> (PMMA)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20">20</a></li></ul>
If enough of the block copolymer molecules that make up a polymersome are <a href="/facts/Cross-link/zeQ9hEAA">cross-linked</a>, the polymersome can be made into a transportable powder.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21">21</a>
Polymersomes can be used to make an <a href="/facts/Artificial_cell/IWyjG4CS">artificial cell</a> if <a href="/facts/Hemoglobin/RsD1MzYA">hemoglobin</a> and other components are added.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22">22</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23">23</a> The first artificial cell was made by <a href="/facts/Thomas_Chang/GvYQRYyR">Thomas Chang</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24">24</a>

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Cell_(biology)/bLM9UQvy">Cell (biology)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Liposome/l9P4LVbS">Liposome</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Polymer/eF32E50K">Polymer</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Copolymer/35D97DuV">Copolymer</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Artificial_cell/IWyjG4CS">Artificial cell</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Discher B M; Won Y Y; Ege D S; Lee J C; Bates F S; Discher D E; Hammer D A Science (1999), 284(5417), 1143-6. <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Discher B M, Bermudez H, Hammer D A, Discher D E, Won Y-Y, Bates F S Journal of Physical Chemistry B (2002), 106(11), 2848-2854 <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Onaca, Ozana; Madhavan Nallani; Saskia Ihle; Alexander Schenk; Ulrich Schwaneberg (August 2006). "Functionalized nanocompartments (Synthosomes): limitations and prospective applications in industrial biotechnology". Biotechnology Journal. 1 (7–8): 795–805. doi:10.1002/biot.200600050. PMID 16927262. S2CID 28644222. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Discher B M; Won Y Y; Ege D S; Lee J C; Bates F S; Discher D E; Hammer D A Science (1999), 284(5417), 1143-6. <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">Durand, Geraldine G.; Holder, Simon J.; Yeoh, Chert tsun. Abstracts of Papers, 229th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, United States, March 13–17, 2005 (2005), POLY-018 <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">Qi, Hongfeng; Zhong, Chongli. Journal of Physical Chemistry B (2008), 112(35), 10841-10847 <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Yi, Zhuo; Liu, Xuanbo; Jiao, Qing; Chen, Erqiang; Chen, Yongming; Xi, Fu. Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry (2008), '46'(12), 4205-4217 <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">Nardin, C; Hirt, T; Leukel, J; Meier, W Langmuir, 16, 1035-1041 <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Nardin, Corinne; Thoeni, Sandra; Widmer, Jorg; Winterhalter, Mathias; Meier, Wolfgang. Chemical Communications (Cambridge) (2000), (15), 1433-1434 <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Ahmed, Fariyal; Discher, Dennis E. Journal of Controlled Release (2004), 96(1), 37-53 <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Circulation times of PEGylated vesicles: Bringing together biology and polymer physics. Photos P, Parthasarathy R, Discher B, Discher D E, Abstracts, 36th Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Princeton, NJ, United States, June 8–11 (2003), 175. Publisher: American Chemical Society, Washington, D. C <a href="/wiki/American_Chemical_Society" target="_blank">/wiki/American_Chemical_Society</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Ahmed, Fariyal; Discher, Dennis E. Journal of Controlled Release (2004), 96(1), 37-53 <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Rameez S, Alosta H, Palmer A F, Bioconjugate Chemistry 2008, 19, 1025 <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">Nardin, C; Hirt, T; Leukel, J; Meier, W Langmuir, 16, 1035-1041 <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">Nardin, C; Hirt, T; Leukel, J; Meier, W Langmuir, 16, 1035-1041 <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:16">Ahmed, Fariyal; Discher, Dennis E. Journal of Controlled Release (2004), 96(1), 37-53 <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:17">Rameez S, Alosta H, Palmer A F, Bioconjugate Chemistry 2008, 19, 1025 <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:18">Ahmed, Fariyal; Discher, Dennis E. Journal of Controlled Release (2004), 96(1), 37-53 <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:19">Rameez S, Alosta H, Palmer A F, Bioconjugate Chemistry 2008, 19, 1025 <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:20">Ayres, L; Hans, P; Adams, J; Loewik, D W P M; van Hest, J C M Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry (2005), 43(24), 6355-6366 <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:21">Discher B M, Bermudez H, Hammer D A, Discher D E, Won Y-Y, Bates F S Journal of Physical Chemistry B (2002), 106(11), 2848-2854 <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:22">Meng F, Engbers G H M, Feijen J, Journal of Controlled Release (2005), 101(1-3), 187-198 <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:23">NASA.gov <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030604103558/http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/29may_polymersomes.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20030604103558/http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/29may_polymersomes.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:24">Chang T M; Poznansky M J Journal of biomedical materials research (1968), 2(2), 187-99. <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Polymersome open-in-new

Polymersome