The past few years have witnessed significant work being directed towards drug delivery systems with layer-by layer (LbL) technique prominently featured as one of the most sought after approach. However, majority of the studies were focused on the fabrication of microcapsules which produced numerous drawbacks resulting in reduced applicability. This has spurred research into nanocapsules which has proved to overcome most of the drawbacks that plagued microcapsules by being able to evade the reticulo-endothelial system, exhibit enhanced permeability and retention in tumours etc. The capsules fabricated by the LbL technique requires a suitable combination of cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes which ensures that it is able to effectively protect the cargo it encapsulates as well as enhance its bio-applications. With numerous advantages such as biocompatibility and biodegradability to name a few, chitosan has proved to be an ideal cationic polyelectrolyte. Thus, this thesis focuses on the various therapeutic applications of LbL fabricated chitosan based nanocapsules. The first work focuses on the targeted delivery of the somatostatin analogue, Octreotide conjugated nanocapsules to over expressed somatostatin receptors. These LbL fabricated nanocapsules composed of chitosan and dextran sulfate (CD) encapsulate the anti cancer drug, doxorubicin and are found to attain site specificity as well as enhanced anti-proliferative activity. The results indicated that the nanocapsules were biocompatible and when conjugated with octreotide was found to have an enhanced internalization into SSTR expressing cells, thereby making it a viable strategy for the treatment of tumors that has an over expression of somatostatin receptors such as pancreatic carcinoma, breast carcinoma etc. The objective of the second work was to develop an efficient drug delivery system such as CD nanocapsules for encapsulation of Ciprofloxacin in order to combat infection by Salmonella, an intracellular and intra-phagosomal pathogen. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that this delivery system can be used effectively to clear Salmonella infection. The increased retention of ciprofloxacin in tissues delivered by CD nanocapsules as compared to the conventional delivery proved that the same therapeutic effect was obtained with reduced dosage and frequency of Ciprofloxacin administration. The third work deals with the probiotic, Saccharomyces boulardii which is found to be effective against several gastrointestinal diseases but had limited clinical application due to its sensitivity to acidic environment. However, encapsulation of S. boulardii with chitosan and dextran sulfate ensured enhanced viability and selective permeability on exposure to acidic and alkaline conditions experienced during gastro intestinal transit. The final work involves the fabrication of novel pH responsive nanocapsules composed of chitosan-heparin which facilitate the intracellular delivery of a model anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin.

La surface d’un implant ou d’un système à libération contrôlée de médicament est la première zone en contact avec les systèmes physiologiques. Les propriétés de surface vont alors définir le devenir à court et long termes de ces biomatériaux dans l’organisme. Pour améliorer la biointégration mais aussi l’efficacité des matériaux en contact avec les fluides et tissus biologiques, un fin contrôle des phénomènes se produisant à l’interface biologique est nécessaire. Cette thèse s’intéresse à l’étude de trois types de surfaces pouvant modéliser celles de biomatériaux couramment employés. Dans un premier temps, la stabilité hydrolytique de surface amino-fonctionnalisée a été investiguée. L’amino-fonctionnalisation de surface via l’emploi de monocouche auto-assemblée rencontre un intérêt certain pour l’ancrage de diverses molécules, macromolécules, systèmes colloïdaux et cellules. Cependant, le manque de stabilité en milieu aqueux limite grandement leurs perspectives d’utilisation pour la fonctionnalisation de surface de biomatériaux. Dans ce manuscrit, une monocouche amino-fonctionnalisée à base d’aminoalkylsilane a été greffée sur des substrats de silicate (silice et mica). L’extrême stabilité hydrolytique rapportée pour cette monocouche permet une immersion prolongée en milieu aqueux et sur une large gamme de pH. Les paramètres ayant été identifiés comme impactant cette stabilité sont l’organisation de la monocouche, la densité de greffage et la longueur de la chaîne carbonée de l’aminoalkylsilane. Dans un second temps, les propriétés lubrifiantes en milieu aqueux de surfaces structurées sont rapportées. Le besoin en surface autolubrifiante couvre une large variété de biomatériaux tels que les substituts cartilagineux, les dispositifs oculaires ou bien les cathéters. Des structures dômes ont été produites sur des surfaces via l’immobilisation de particules. Des particules polymériques à base de polyélectrolytes sensibles aux variations de pH ont permis l’obtention de structures molles et déformables alors que l’immobilisation de particules de silice a permis la formation de structures dures. Deux mécanismes majeurs contrôlant les propriétés de frottement ont été mis en évidence. Les surfaces structurées à partir de polyélectrolytes présentent des propriétés de frottement directement corrélées au gonflement et donc à la teneur en eau de ces structures. Ce ii gonflement peut être contrôlé par le pH du milieu aqueux. Plus les structures sont gonflées, plus le coefficient de frottement est faible. En revanche, avec des structures dures obtenues par l’immobilisation de particules de silice, le roulement de ces particules permet d’obtenir sous certaines conditions des coefficients de frottement extrêmement faibles. Dans ce cas, la nature du lien entre la particule et le substrat importe peu et un dégreffage systématique de certaines particules est observé pour permettre le mouvement des surfaces tout en limitant les forces de frottement. Dans un troisième temps, la complexation de simples brins de siARN via différentes natures d’interactions a été étudiée à l’aide de surfaces modèles de chimie variable. Cette étude a permis de démontrer la possibilité d'adsorber des simples brins de siARN via des interactions non-électrostatiques sur des surfaces planes. Des interactions hydrophobes et les liaisons hydrogène ont par la suite pu être employées pour complexer cet acide nucléique avec des formulations micellaires et liposomales non-cationiques. Cette étude permet d'envisager la conception de nanovecteurs non-cationiques et donc moins toxiques pour la délivrance de simples brins de siARN. Les travaux présentés dans ce manuscrit contribuent à l’élargissement des connaissances en matière de propriétés physico-chimiques de surface aux interfaces biologiques. / The surface of an implant or a drug delivery system is the first area of contact with biological environment. The surface properties of these biomaterials will define the short and long term behavior in the organism. To improve biointegration and efficiency, a fine control of the biological interface is required. This thesis investigates three different kind of surfaces modelling commonly used biomaterials. First, the hydrolytic stability of amino-functionalized surfaces was investigated. The amino-functionalization using self-assembled monolayers is required for the anchorage of molecules, macromolecules, colloidal systems and cells onto biomaterials. However, the lack of stability in aqueous media limits their use. In this manuscript, an amino-functionalized self-assembled monolayer made of aminoalkylsilane was grafted onto silicate substrates (silica and mica). The extreme robustness that we reported for this monolayer allows immersion into aqueous media for a wide range of pH and over long periods of time. The most important parameters that were identified that significantly impact the hydrolytic stability are the order of the monolayers, the grafting density and the length of the alkyl chain of the aminoalkylsilane. Second, the lubricant properties in aqueous media of structured surfaces are reported. The need in self-lubricant surfaces is required in a wide variety of biomaterials such as the cartilage substitute, ocular medical device or catheters. Domed structures were produced on surfaces through immobilization of particles. Polymeric nanoparticles composed of pH-sensitive polyelectrolytes were used to prepared soft and deformable structures while the immobilization of silica particles allows hard structures to be created. Two main mechanisms controlling friction properties were identified. Friction properties of structured surfaces made of polyelectrolytes were controlled by the swelling and the water content of the particles. This swelling can be tuned by changing the pH of the aqueous media. An increase in particle swelling leads to a decrease in the friction coefficient. However, with the hard structures, the rolling of the particles in some cases can also lead to extremely low friction coefficient. In that case, the nature of the attachment of iv the particle to the surface does not matter and systematic degrafting of some particles was observed which allows surfaces to slide with small friction forces. Third, the complexation of a single-stranded siRNA through different interactions was investigated with model surfaces of various chemistry. The results show that ss-siRNA can adsorb onto hydrophilic (positively and negatively charged) as well as on hydrophobic substrates suggesting that the complexation can occur through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding in addition to electrostatic interactions. This study suggests that non-electrostatic interactions could be exploited to complement electrostatic interactions in the design of less toxic nanocarriers and that non-cationics nanovectors can be employed as a potential single-stranded siRNA delivery systems. The results presented in this thesis contribute to increase the knowledge in the field of physico-chemistry surface properties of biological interfaces.

The present thesis focuses on the fabrication of bio-stimuli responsive micro- and nano-carriers for drug delivery applications. In particular, the objective of this work is to investigate the possibility of using polypeptide drug protamine and glycosaminoglycan drug, chondroitin sulphate as stimuli responsive components in the design of bioresponsive carriers. These biopolymers are biocompatible, biodegradable and clinically used for various applications. Two designs that incorporate these stimuli responsive components have been studied in this thesis. The first design involves hollow micro and nanocapsules that have been fabricated by incorporating the stimuli responsive biopolymers as wall components. Upon exposure to biological triggers, these hollow capsules disintegrate releasing the encapsulated drug. The second design consists of mesoporous silica nanoparticles-biopolymer hybrids. The mesoporous silica nanoparticles act as a gated scaffold that carries the drug molecules. The mesopores of these drug loaded nanoparticles are then blocked with the bioresponsive polymers. Upon exposure to the bio-triggers which consist of enzymes over-expressed in conditions such as cancer and inflammation, these “molecular gates” disintegrate allowing the drug trapped in the mesoporous silica nanoparticles to escape into the surroundings. The thesis has been divided into five chapters: Chapter 1 is an introduction to bio-responsive drug delivery. The broad classification of stimuli used in responsive drug delivery systems are visited. A brief discussion on the various types of bio-stimuli that can be utilized in designing bio-responsive systems is also included in this chapter. Chapter 2 defines the aims and scope of the thesis which is followed by an overview of the various design parameters involved in the fabrication of systems presented in this work. The major stimuli responsive components and the architectures incorporating these elements are discussed in detail here. A literature review of the various carrier designs involved in the study is provided , with special emphasis on stimuli responsive drug delivery. Chapter 3 gives an overview of the various materials and methods involved in this work. A summary of the various characterisation techniques used in the thesis is also included along with the details of the experiments that has been carried out. Chapter 4 provides an overview of the results and discussions of the thesis. The chapter has been divided into six sections: Chapter 4.1 deals with the fabrication of a hollow microcapsule system incorporated with protamine as the stimuli responsive element for bio-responsive drug delivery. The hollow microcapsules that were fabricated by Layer by Layer assembly of protamine and heparin display pH responsive variations in permeability and disintegrate in the presence of the enzyme trypsin that degrades protamine. The biologically triggered enzyme responsive drug release from these microcapsules is also demonstrated using enzymes secreted by colorectal cancer cells. Chapter 4.2 presents nanocapsules fabricated from protamine and heparin. The pH and enzyme responsive drug release of this systems is evaluated in vitro. A wall crosslinking strategy has been tested to control the rate of drug release under physiological pH conditions in the absence of the trigger. The cellular interactions of these nanocapsules loaded with an anticancer drug, doxorubicin was studied using cancer cell lines. Bioavailability studies of doxorubicin encapsulated in these nanocapsules were performed using a BALB/c mice model. Chapter 4.3 discusses the fabrication of a hollow microcapsule system that can disintegrate in response to dual biological stimuli. These carriers have been fabricated by incorporating protamine and chondroitin sulphate as the wall components. Due to the incorporation of two separate stimuli responsive components in the walls, these capsules are expected to be sensitive to the enzymes trypsin or hyaluronidase I. Chapter 4.4 deals with the fabrication of dual enzyme responsive hollow nanocapsule which can be targeted to deliver anticancer agents specifically inside cancer cells. The enzyme responsive elements integrated in the hollow nanocapsule walls can undergo degradation in presence of either of the enzymes trypsin or hyaluronidase I leading to the release of encapsulated drug molecules. The drug release from these nanocapsules which were crosslinked and functionalised with folic acid, is evaluated under varying conditions. The cellular uptake and intracellular drug delivery by these nanocapsules were evaluated in cervical cancer cell lines. Chapter 4.5 introduces a mesoporous silica nanoparticle − protamine hybrid system. The system consists of a mesoporous silica nanoparticle support whose mesopores are capped with protamine which effectively blocks the outward diffusion of the drug molecules from the mesopores of the mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Upon exposure to the enzyme trigger, the protamine cap disintegrates opening up the molecular gates and releasing the entrapped drug molecules. The drug release from this system is evaluated in different release conditions in the presence and absence of the enzyme trigger. The ability of these particles to deliver hydrophobic anticancer drugs and induce cell death in colorectal cancer cells has also been demonstrated. Chapter 4.6 discusses the fabrication of another mesoporous silica nanoparticles based bio-responsive drug delivery system consisting of mesoporous silica and chondroitin sulphate hybrid nanoparticles. The ability of the system to modulate drug release in response to hyaluronidase I is demonstrated. By utilizing a cervical cancer cell line, we have demonstrated the cellular uptake and intracellular delivery of hydrophobic drugs encapsulated in these particles. Interestingly, the system showed ability to enhance the anticancer activity of hydrophobic drug curcumin in these cancer cells. Chapter 5 gives a summary of the general conclusions drawn from the thesis work.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) still causes a chronic infection that affects millions of individuals worldwide. The infection remains incurable and presents a huge challenge for treatment, as it tends to disable a patient’s immune system. Although the current HIV-1 treatment regime possesses the ability to reduce the viral load to undetectable limits, complete eradication of the virus cannot be achieved while latent HIV-1 reservoirs go unchallenged. These viral reservoirs are established early on during HIV-1 infection and are a major hurdle since they remain unaffected by antiretroviral drugs and have the ability to replenish systemic infections once treatment is interrupted. Further ailments with the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) include issues such as the cumbersome lifelong treatment, development of drug resistant strains of HIV-1 and adverse side effects. Contrarily, early diagnosis of the HIV-1 infection and HIV-1 treatment is a major challenge in resource-limited countries. The current available diagnostic tools for HIV-1 infection have shown to be highly accurate in monitoring CD4+ T lymphocyte count and viral load measurements. However, these tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which are highly efficient, are usually very expensive with complex operation, time consuming, require skilled personnel and training that makes them incompatible for the application in resource-limited areas. Therefore, this raises the urgent need for developing an HIV point of care (POC) diagnostic tool that is label-free, highly specific and sensitive as well as therapeutic modalities, which can be used to address the previously mentioned challenges. Much research has been conducted to resolve these problems but to date, there has not been application of laser and/or photonics in HIV research. Therefore, in this thesis a femtosecond laser was used in HIV infected cells for targeted antiretroviral drug delivery while preserving their viability. For the first time according to our knowledge, antiretrovirals (ARVs) that target all the life stages of the HIV-1 life cycle were utilized and they proved to be significant in reducing HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, through the employment of a continuous wave laser at 640 nm, for the first time, surface plasmon resonance was conducted to facilitate label-free detection of HIV-1. Success of these laser based technologies will open doors for incorporation in POC HIV diagnostic tools for the detection and treatment monitoring of HIV in resource-limited settings. / Physics / Ph. D. (Physics)

Résumé : Les copolymères à blocs sensibles aux stimuli (SR-BCPs) et leurs assemblages, tels que les micelles, les vésicules et les hydrogels, peuvent subir des changements physiques ou chimiques en réponse à l'évolution des conditions environnementales. Pour un excellent SR-BCP, habituellement, de légères modifications de l'environnement sont suffisantes pour induire des modifications relativement drastiques dans la conformation, la structure ou les propriétés du polymère. Ces polymères sont aussi appelés polymères stimuli-réactifs ou polymères intelligents et ils ont un grand potentiel d'application dans de nombreux domaines. Au cours des deux dernières décennies, un intérêt de recherche et développement particulier a été porté sur l'exploitation des SR-BCPs pour utilisation comme systèmes de relargage de médicaments. Dans de nombreux cas, les changements induits par des stimuli dans la structure ou la morphologie des assemblages de BCPs peuvent entraîner la libération de l'espèce encapsulée, parfois d'une manière contrôlable spatialement et temporellement par le choix d'un stimulus approprié et en ajustant les paramètres de la méthode de stimulation utilisée. De façon générale, le fait d’avoir un certain type de groupements réactifs à un stimulus donné dans la structure permet aux SR-BCPs de reconnaître et réagir à ce stimulus. Malgré les énormes progrès réalisés sur les SR-BCPs, un certain nombre de questions fondamentales restent à résoudre afin de leur permettre de se trouver dans des applications pratiques. Pour y arriver, la clé ou le défi réside dans l’amélioration du niveau et de la complexité de contrôle sur les SR-BCPs ainsi que la sensibilité avec laquelle ces polymères réagissent à des stimuli. Généralement, il est souhaitable d'obtenir une réaction rapide sous l'action d'une stimulation modérée. A cette fin, il est nécessaire d’effectuer des recherches fondamentales sur la conception rationnelle de nouveaux SR-BCPs ainsi que sur le développement de méthodes de stimulation qui peuvent amplifier l'effet d'un stimulus. Les travaux de recherche présentés dans cette thèse s'inscrivent dans ce domaine de recherche. Plus spécifiquement, nous avons étudié des micelles de BCPs qui répondent à deux types de stimuli. D'une part, nous avons étudié un mécanisme d'amplification basé sur l’effet des ultrasons combiné à la thermosensibilité de BCPs. D'autre part, nous avons développé une nouvelle conception de BCPs qui permet aux micelles d’être détruites soit de manière photochimique, soit par des réactions d'oxydo-réduction, tout en ayant le nombre minimum des groupes stimuli-réactifs dans la structure du polymère. Notre recherche a généré de nouvelles connaissances dans ce domaine et suggère de nouveaux moyens sur la façon dont les questions de sensibilité et de contrôle complexe des micelles SR-BCPs peuvent être abordées, contribuant ainsi à l'avancement des connaissances fondamentales. Le cœur de cette thèse est composé de trois publications résultant des projets réalisés. Dans le premier projet, afin de coupler la sensibilité aux ultrasons et la thermosensibilité, nous avons mené une étude ayant pour but de trouver des structures possibles de polymères qui sont susceptibles d'être affectées par les ultrasons. Nous avons effectué une étude comparative sur la destruction des micelles formées par divers BCPs et la libération concomitante d'un colorant hydrophobe encapsulé (rouge du Nil) par les ultrasons focalisés de haute intensité (HIFU). Nous avons constaté que toutes les micelles formées par les quatre copolymères diblocs synthétisés, étant constitués d'un même bloc du polyoxyde d'éthylène (PEO) hydrophile et d’un bloc de polyméthacrylate hydrophobe différent, peuvent être perturbées par les ultrasons. Toutefois, l'ampleur de la perturbation et la libération du colorant encapsulé dans la micelle est influencée par la structure chimique du block hydrophobe. En particulier, les micelles du PEO-b-PIBMA (poly(1-isobutoxyméthacrylate d'éthyle)) et du PEO-b-PTHPMA (poly(méthacrylate de 2-tétrahydropyrannyle)), qui possèdent une unité acétal labile dans le groupe latéral, subissent des perturbations plus importantes en raison, probablement, d’une réaction d’hydrolyse de l’ester induite par les ultrasons, donnant lieu à une libération plus rapide du colorant. En revanche, les micelles du PEO-b-PMMA (poly(méthacrylate de méthyle)), dont le bloc polyméthacrylate est plus stable, sont plus résistantes aux ultrasons et présentent une cinétique de libération du colorant plus lente que les autres micelles. De plus, l’analyse des spectres infrarouges des solutions micellaires, enregistrés avant et après l’exposition aux ultrasons, suggère une réaction d’hydrolyses pour le PEO-b-PIBMA et le PEO-b-PTHPMA, mais montre l'absence d’une quelconque réaction chimique pour le PEO-b-PMMA. L'effet de la structure de copolymère à blocs sur la réactivité des micelles à l'irradiation HIFU à hautes fréquences permet de mieux comprendre comment des micelles de BCPs sensibles aux ultrasons peuvent être conçues. Sur la base du premier projet, dans le deuxième projet, nous avons démontré une nouvelle approche pouvant amplifier l'effet de HIFU sur la destruction des micelles de BCPs en solution aqueuse. L’idée est d’introduire une petite quantité des unités comonomères sensibles aux ultrasons dans le bloc thermosensible et initialement hydrophobe. On peut alors former une micelle dont le noyau est composé du polymère sensible aux ultrasons. Si la réaction induite par les ultrasons sur le noyau permet d’augmenter la température de solution critique inférieure (LCST) du polymère thermosensible au-dessus de la température de la solution micellaire, la micelle doit être dissolue car tout le BCP est devenu soluble dans l’eau. Pour tester la validité de ce nouveau mécanisme, nous avons synthétisé et étudié un copolymère dibloc de PEO-b-P(MEO[indice inférieur 2]MA-co-THPMA) (MEO[indice inférieur 2]MA représente 2-(2-méthoxyéthoxy) méthacrylate d'éthyle), dans lequel le bloc thermosensible P(MEO[indice inférieur 2]MA-co-THPMA) est hydrophobe à T>LCST. Le THPMA a été choisi en raison de sa plus grande réactivité vis-à-vis des faisceaux HIFU que les autres monomères étudiés dans le premier projet. Les résultats montrent que les HIFU peuvent effectivement augmenter la LCST du bloc P(MEO[indice inférieur 2]MA-co-THPMA) et, par conséquent, induire la dissociation des micelles à une température constante de la solution. Une analyse spectrale en RMN [indice supérieur 13]C a fourni des preuves montrant que l'hydrolyse des groupes THPMA se produit sous l’irradiation HIFU et que la destruction des micelles provient d'une augmentation de la LCST en raison de la conversion des motifs hydrophobes THPMA en motifs acides méthacryliques (MAA) hydrophiles. Cette méthode de modifier la LCST par une irradiation des ultrasons est générale et peut être appliquée aux autres groupements sensibles aux ultrasons dans la conception de ce type de SR-BCPs. Cette étude a ainsi démontré un nouveau mécanisme d'amplification et de contrôle des micelles de BCPs via la modification induite par les ultrasons de la température de transition de phase (LCST) du bloc constituant le noyau micellaire. Le troisième projet présenté dans cette thèse portait sur une conception rationnelle de BCPs ayant un but précis: permettre aux micelles d’être perturbées par deux types de stimuli en utilisant le nombre minimal des unités sensibles à des stimuli dans la structure de BCPs. Pour ce faire, nous avons conçu et synthétisé un nouveau copolymère tribloc amphiphile de type ABC, soit le poly(oxyde d'éthylène) - disulfure – polystyrene - o-nitrobenzyle - poly(2-(diméthylamino) éthylméthacrylate) (PEO-S-S-PS-ONB-PDMAEMA). Il dispose d'une liaison disulfure redox-clivable entre les blocs PEO et PS ainsi que d'un groupe o-nitrobenzyle (ONB) photoclivable à la jonction des blocs PS et PDMAEMA. Nous avons montré que ce modèle est une stratégie utile pour permettre aux micelles de BCPs de répondre soit à un agent réducteur comme le dithiothréitol (DTT) dans une solution, soit à l'exposition à la lumière UV, tout en ayant le nombre minimum des groups stimuli-réactifs dans la structure du copolymère (deux unités par chaîne). Nos investigations ont révélé que les micelles de ce copolymère tribloc peuvent être perturbées de différentes façons. Lorsqu'un seul stimulus est appliqué, l'enlèvement d'un type des chaînes de polymère hydrophile à partir de la couronne de micelles, soit le PEO par clivage par oxydo-réduction ou le PDMAEMA par photoclivage, entraîne un effet limité de déstabilisation sur la dispersion des micelles. L'agglomération de quelques micelles apparaît mais la dispersion reste essentiellement stable. En revanche, en cas d'utilisation combinée des deux stimuli qui clivent à la fois le PEO et le PDMAEMA, une agrégation importante du polymère se produit à la suite de l'élimination de l'amphiphilicité du polymère. // Abstract : Stimuli-responsive block copolymers (SR-BCPs) and their assemblies, such as micelles, vesicles and hydrogels, can undergo physical or chemical changes in response to changing environmental conditions. For an excellent SR-BCP, usually, slight changes in the environment are sufficient to induce relatively drastic changes in either the conformation or structure or properties of the polymer. Stimuli-reactive polymers are often referred to as smart polymers and they have great application potential in many fields. Over the past two decades, particular research and development interest has been focused on exploiting SR-BCP assemblies as drug delivery systems (DDSs). In many cases, stimuli-induced changes in the structure or morphology of BCP assemblies (drug carriers) can result in the release of loaded species, sometimes in a spatially and temporally controllable manner by choosing an appropriate stimulus and adjusting the parameters of the used stimulating method. Generally speaking, by having a certain type of stimuli-reactive moieties in the structure, SR-BCP assemblies have an ability to recognize a specific stimulus and react to its presence accordingly. Despite the tremendous progress achieved on SR-BCPs, a number of fundamental issues remain to be addressed in order to enable real-life applications of these smart polymers. Of them, an increasing level and complexity of control on SR-BCPs as well as the sensitivity with which these polymers react to stimuli are key and challenging. It is highly desirable to obtain a fast reaction under the action of a modest stimulation. To this end, fundamental research is necessary on rational and creative BCP structural design as well as on development of stimulation methods that can amplify the effect of a stimulus. The research work presented in this thesis falls into this important topic. More specifically, we studied BCP micelles that are responsive to two types of stimuli. On the one hand, we investigated an amplification mechanism based on coupling the ultrasound reactivity with the thermosensitivity of BCPs. On the other hand, we developed a BCP structural design that allows micelles to be disrupted by either light or redox agents while having the minimum number of stimuli-reactive moieties in the polymer structure. Our research provided new insights into and suggested new means on how the issues of sensitivity and complex control of SR-BCP micelles can be tackled, thus contributing to the advancement of fundamental knowledge. The core of this thesis is comprised of three publications resulting from the projects realized in our research work. In order to couple the ultrasound sensitivity and thermosensitivity, in the first project, we carried out studies to find possible polymer structures that are susceptible to be affected by ultrasound. We conducted a comparative study on the disruption of the micelles formed by various BCPs and the concomitant release of an encapsulated hydrophobic dye (Nile Red) by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). It was found that all micelles formed by the four synthesized diblock copolymers, being composed of a hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block and a different polymethacrylate hydrophobic block, could be disrupted by ultrasound. However, the extent of the micellar disruption and dye release was found to be influenced by the chemical structure of the micelle-core-forming hydrophobic polymethacrylate. In particular, micelles of PEO-b-PIBMA (poly(1-(isobutoxy)ethyl methacrylate)) and PEO-b-PTHPMA (poly(2-tetrahydropyranyl methacrylate)), whose hydrophobic blocks have a labile acetal unit in the side group and are more likely to undergo ester hydrolysis, could be disrupted more severely by ultrasound, giving rise to a faster release of Nile Red. By contrast, micelles of PEO-b-PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)), whose polymethacrylate block is more stable, appear to be more resistant to ultrasound irradiation and exhibit a slower rate of dye release than other BCPs. Moreover, infrared spectra recorded with micelles before and after ultrasound irradiation of the aqueous solution of the micelles give evidence for the occurrence of chemical reactions, most likely hydrolysis, for PEO-b-PIBMA and PEO-b-PTHPMA, but absence of chemical reactions for PEO-b-PMMA. The effect of BCP chemical structure on the reaction of micelles to high-frequency HIFU irradiation shows the perspective of designing and developing ultrasound-sensitive BCP micelles for ultrasound-based delivery applications. On the basis of the first project, in the second project, we demonstrated a new approach that could amplify the effect of HIFU on the disassembly of BCP micelles in aqueous solution. By introducing a small amount of ultrasound-labile comonomer units into the micelle core-forming thermosensitive polymer, the ultrasound-induced reaction of the comonomer could increase the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the thermosensitive polymer due to a polarity change, which renders the BCP soluble in water without changing the solution temperature and, consequently, results in disassembly of BCP micelles. To prove the validity of this new mechanism, we synthesized and investigated a diblock copolymer of PEO-b-P(MEO[subscript 2]MA-co-THPMA) (MEO[subscript 2]MA stands for 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate). In the thermosensitive random copolymer block P(MEO[subscript 2]MA-co-THPMA), which is hydrophobic at T>LCST, THPMA was chosen due to its greater reactivity under HIFU than other monomer structures investigated in the first project. We found that HIFU could indeed increase the LCST of the P(MEO[subscript 2]MA-co-THPMA) block and, as a result, dissociate the BCP micelles at a constant temperature. A [superscript 13]C NMR spectral analysis provided critical evidence that hydrolysis of the THPMA groups occurs under HIFU irradiation and the micellar disassembly originates from an increase in the LCST due to the ultrasound-induced conversion of hydrophobic comonomer units of THPMA onto hydrophilic methacrylic acid (MAA). This ultrasound-changeable-LCST approach is general and can be applied by exploring other ultrasound-labile moieties in the BCP design. By transducing an ultrasound-induced effect into a changing thermosensitivity of the micelle core-forming block, this study demonstrated a new amplification and control mechanism for SR-BCP micelles. The third project presented in this thesis dealt with a rational BCP design that had a specific purpose: allowing BCP micelles to be disrupted by two types of stimuli while using the minimum number of stimuli-reactive moieties in the BCP structure. The unveiling of such BCP structures provides insight into how to make BCP micelles sensitive to stimuli. To do this, we designed and synthesized a new amphiphilic ABC-type triblock copolymer, namely, poly(ethylene oxide)-disulfide-polystyrene- o-nitrobenzyl-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethylmethacrylate) (PEO-S-S-PS-ONB-PDMAEMA), which features a redox-cleavable disulfide linkage between the PEO and PS blocks as well as a photocleavable ONB group as the junction of the PS and PDMAEMA blocks. We demonstrated that this design is a useful strategy to allow BCP micelles to respond to both a reducing agent like dithiothreitol (DTT) in solution and exposure to UV light while having the minimum number of stimuli-reactive moieties in the block copolymer structure (two units per chain). Our investigations found that the micelles of this triblock copolymer could be disrupted in different ways. When only one stimulus is applied, the removal of one type of hydrophilic polymer chains from the micelle corona, either PEO by redox-cleavage or PDMAEMA by photocleavage, results in a limited destabilization effect on the dispersion of the micelles. The agglomeration between a few micelles appears but the dispersion remains essentially stable. By contrast, under combined use of the two stimuli that cleaves both PEO and PDMAEMA, severe polymer aggregation occurs as a result of elimination of the polymer amphiphilicity. Moreover, by loading the hydrophobic Nile Red in the micelles, the fluorescence quenching of the dye by aqueous medium under the different uses of the two stimuli appears to correlate with the different extents of the micellar disruption. // 摘要 : 刺激响应嵌段共聚物（SR-BCPs）和它们的自组装体（例如胶束、囊泡和水凝胶）可以对环境的改变做出物理或者化学变化的响应。对于优良的SR-BCP，在通常情况下，环境中的微小变化都足以诱导无论是在聚合物构象或者结构或者性能上相对很大的变化。刺激-反应性聚合物通常被称为智能聚合物，它们在许多领域具有很大的应用潜力。在过去的二十年中，专业的研究和新产品的开发一直聚焦在利用SR-BCP自组装体作为载药体系（DDSs）。在许多情况下，刺激诱导BCP自组装体（药物载体）结构或者形貌的改变都可以导致加载药物的释放。通过选择适当的刺激和调节用于刺激方法的参数，可以实现加载药物在空间和时间上的可控释放。一般来说，通过具有特定类型的刺激-反应性结构部分，SR-BCP自组装体就具有了识别特定刺激并做出相应反应的能力。 尽管SR-BCPs已经取得了巨大的发展，但是使这些智能聚合物能够在现实生活中得到应用，一些根本性的问题仍然需要加以解决。其中的关键和挑战是增加对SR-BCPs控制的深度和复杂性，以及对刺激响应的敏感度。使SR-BCPs能够在适度的刺激作用下做出快速的反应是人们梦寐以求的。为此，对于合理地创造性地设计BCP结构以及发展可以放大刺激效应的刺激方法的基础研究是非常有必要的。在本论文中提出的研究工作属于这一重要课题。具体来说，我们研究了双重刺激响应BCP胶束。一方面，基于BCPs的超声温度双重敏感性，我们研究了一种放大机制。另一方面，我们开发设计了一种在聚合物结构中只含有最少数目刺激-反应单元的BCP结构，可以让胶束被光或者还原剂破坏。我们的研究对于如何解决SR-BCP胶束的敏感性和复杂可控性提出了新的见解和方法，从而有利于基础知识的进步。 本论文的核心是由三篇已经发表的研究工作组成。为了实现超声和温度双重敏感性，在第一个研究课题中，我们对于容易受超声影响的聚合物结构进行了研究。我们比较了由不同BCPs组成的胶束结构在高强度聚焦超声（HIFU）作用下的破坏情况以及伴随着的包覆疏水染料（尼罗红）的释放情况。实验结果显示，四种以聚环氧乙烷为亲水端，不同的聚甲基丙烯酸酯为疏水端的两嵌段聚合物胶束都可以被超声扰动。然而，形成胶束疏水内核的聚甲基丙烯酸酯的化学结构影响胶束破坏和染料释放的程度。特别是，PEO-b-PIBMA（聚（ 1-（异丁氧基）乙基甲基丙烯酸酯） ）和PEO-b-PTHPMA（聚（2-四氢吡喃基甲基丙烯酸酯） ）的疏水端具有不稳定的酯键侧基，因此在超声作用下更容易酯键水解。他们的胶束也更容易 被超声扰动，从而更快的释放尼罗红。相比之下，PEO-b-PMMA（聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯）的聚甲基丙烯酸酯链段比较稳定。因此相对于其他胶束，PEO-b-PMMA胶束在超声下更稳定，释放染料的速度也相对较慢。根据超声辐照前后胶束水溶液的红外光谱显示，PEO-b-PIBMA和PEO-b-PTHPMA在超声辐照下发生了水解反应，但是PEO-b-PMMA没有发生化学反应。在高频率HIFU辐照下，BCP的化学结构对胶束反应的影响展现了设计和发展应用超声-敏感BCP胶束的新视角。 在第一个研究课题的基础上，在第二个研究课题中，我们展示了一种可以放大HIFU在水溶液中对BCP胶束破坏效果的新方法。通过在形成胶束内核的温敏性聚合物中引入少量的超声不稳定共聚单体，由于超声诱导共聚体极性的变化从而增加温敏性聚合物的最低临界溶液温度（LCST）。这使得在没有改变溶液温度的情况下，BCP溶于水，并进一步导致BCP胶束的瓦解。为了证明这种新机制的可行性，我们合成并研究了二嵌段共聚物PEO-b-P(MEO2MA-co-THPMA) （MEO2MA 代表2-（2-甲氧基乙氧基）乙基甲基丙烯酸酯）。当T > LCST时，无规的热敏嵌段共聚物P(MEO2MA-co-THPMA)是疏水的。选择THPMA是因为在第一个研究课题里，相比于其他结构的单体，它对于HIFU的辐照更敏感，具有更大的反应活性。我们发现， 通过HIFU的辐照确实可以增加P(MEO2MA-co-THPMA)链段的LCST，导致BCP胶束在温度不变的情况下瓦解。13C NMR 提供了关于超声诱导THPMA基团水解和由于超声诱导使疏水的THPMA共聚单元转变成亲水的MAA从而使LCST增加进一步导致胶束瓦解的关键证据。这种超声改变LCST的方法具有普遍意义，可以被用来探索在BCP设计中其他的超声不稳定基团。通过把超声诱导效应转换成胶束内核的温敏性变化，这项研究展示了一种全新的SR-BCP胶束的放大和控制机制。 在这篇论文中所展示的第三个研究课题是设计一个具有特定目的的合理的BCP结构。即允许在使用最少的刺激响应官能团的情况下，BCP胶束可以在两种刺激下瓦解。这种BCP结构的展示可以使我们更深入的了解如何使BCP胶束对刺激敏感。为此，我们设计并合成了新的两亲性ABC型三嵌段共聚物，即聚（环氧乙烷） - 二硫化物 - 聚苯乙烯 - 邻 - 硝基苄基 - 聚（ 2 - （二甲基氨基）乙基甲基丙烯酸酯） (PEO-S-S-PS-ONB-PDMAEMA)。它在PEO和PS嵌段之间具有可还原裂解的二硫键，在PS和PDMAEMA嵌段之间具有可光裂解的ONB基团。我们证实，对于使具有最少数量的刺激-反应官能团（每条分子链上仅有两个）的BCP胶束可以同时在还原剂二硫苏糖醇 （DDT）水溶液中和紫外光照下发生响应，此设计是一种行之有效的策略。我们研究发现，这种三嵌段共聚物胶束可以以不同的方式被破坏。当只施加一种刺激时，无论是还原裂解PEO链段，或是光裂解PDMAEMA链段，都只有一种亲水链从胶束外壳被移走，这都只能导致胶束分散有限的不稳定。虽然一些胶束之间发生了团聚，但是分散体系总体上基本保持稳定。与之相对的，在两种刺激同时作用的情况下，PEO和PDMAEMA链段的同时断裂使聚合物的两亲性消失，从而导致聚合物严重的聚集。此外， 在两种刺激不同的施加情况下，通过在胶束中装载疏水尼罗红的方式，结果显示染料的荧光在水中的淬灭与胶束被破坏的不同程度有关。

Η Πακλιταξέλη (PTX) αποτελεί ένα ευρέως διαδεδομένο αντινεοπλασματικό φάρμακο και ενδείκνυται σε μεταστατικό καρκίνο του μαστού, καρκίνο ωοθηκών, μη μικροκυτταρικό καρκίνο του πνεύμονα και σε σάρκωμα Kaposi ασθενών με AIDS. Παρ’ όλα αυτά, η σημαντική τοξικότητα που εμφανίζει (μυελοκαταστολή, νευροτοξικότητα, αντιδράσεις υπερευαισθησίας), υπογραμμίζει την αναγκαιότητα για μορφοποίησή της σε Συστήματα Ελεγχόμενης Χορήγησης Φαρμάκων (DDS), με σκοπό τη μείωση των ανεπιθύμητων ενεργειών και την αύξηση της βιοδιαθεσιμότητας του φαρμάκου. Τα πολυμερικά μικκύλια έχουν μελετεθεί εκτενώς τα τελευταία χρόνια ως Συστήματα Ελεγχόμενης Χορήγησης Φαρμάκων. Η ενσωμάτωση υπερπαραμαγνητικών νανοκρυσταλλιτών οξειδίου του σιδήρου (SPIONs) στον πυρήνα των PTX-μικκυλίων, παρέχει τη δυνατότητα μαγνητικής στόχευσης του φαρμάκου στην επιθυμητή περιοχή δράσης, καθώς και τη θεραπεία του καρκίνου μέσω επαγωγής μαγνητικής υπερθερμίας, με την εφαρμογή εναλλασσόμενου μαγνητικού πεδίου. Επιπλεόν, η χρήση των SPIONs ως σκιαγραφικά μέσα (Τ2-contrast enhancement) στη μαγνητική τομογραφία πυρηνικού συντονισμού (MRI), εξασφαλίζει το πλεονέκτημα ταυτόχρονης διάγνωσης και θεραπείας (Theranostics), αποκαλύπτοντας την πολυλειτουργικότητα των συστημάτων αυτών. Οι συγκεκριμένοι νανοφορείς, έχοντας μικρό μέγεθος (100-200nm), θεωρούνται κατάλληλοι για να αποφύγουν την οψωνινοποίηση απο τις λιποπρωτεϊνες του αίματος, την επίθεση απο τα φαγοκύτταρα του Δικτυοενδοθηλιακού συστήματος (RES) καθώς και την ταχεία νεφρική κάθαρση, με αποτέλεσμα την παρατεταμένη κυκλοφορία τους στο αίμα (stealth systems) και την εκλεκτική πρόσληψη τους απο τους συμπαγείς καρκινικούς όγκους, μέσω του φαινομένου της ενισχυμένης διαπερατότητας και κατακράτησης (EPR effect). Οι ιδιότητες αυτές, καθιστούν τα συγκεκριμένα συστήματα πολύτιμα εργαλεία στον τομέα της νανοϊατρικής. Η παρούσα μεταπτυχιακή διατριβή πραγματεύεται τη σύνθεση υδρόφοβων SPIONs μέσω της τεχνικής της θερμικής αποικοδόμησης. Μελετήθηκαν οι συνθετικές παράμετροι (πρόδρομη ένωση, ποσότητα ελαϊκού οξέος, θερμοκρασία και διάρκεια αντίδρασης, ρυθμός αύξησης της θερμοκρασίας κ.α) που επηρεάζουν το μέγεθος, το σχήμα και τη διασπορά του μεγέθους των σχηματιζομένων νανοκρυσταλλιτών (5-13nm, σ: 10-20%), καθώς διαδραματίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο στη μαγνητική συμπεριφορά των υβριδικών νανονοφορέων. Στη συνέχεια, πραγματοποιήθηκε σύνθεση υβριδικών νανοφορέων με εγκλωβισμό των SPIONs σε πολυμερικά μικκύλια. Η παρασκευή των υπερπαραμαγνητικών μικκυλίων επιτελέστηκε με την τεχνικη solvent diffusion and evaporation (nanoprecipitation), με χρήση του αμφίφιλου συμπολυμερούς πολυ(γαλακτικό οξύ)-πολυ(αιθυλενογλυκόλη) (PLA-PEG). Στον υδρόφοβο πυρήνα των μικκυλίων (PLA) δεσμεύονται υδρόφοβες ενώσεις (PTX, SPIONs), ενώ το υδρόφιλο κέλυφος (PEG) προσδίδει κολλοειδή σταθερότητα σε υδατικά μέσα (δομή πυρήνα-κελύφους). Διερευνήθηκαν διάφορες συνθετικές παράμετροι (μοριακό βάρος συμπολυμερούς, ποσότητα SPIONs, ρυθμός προσθήκης οργανικής φάσης κ.α) και προσδιορίστηκαν οι βέλτιστες συνθήκες για την παρασκευή υπερπαραμαγνητικών μικκυλίων μεγέθους <200nm, με αξιοσημείωτη κολλοειδή σταθερότητα (μέχρι και έξι μήνες), σε συνθήκες παρόμοιες με αυτές του ανθρώπινου πλάσματος (pH: 7.4, ιοντική ισχύς: 0.15Μ). Στο επόμενο στάδιο της παρούσας εργασίας, μελετήθηκαν οι παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν τη φόρτωση-ενκαψυλίωση της PTX και των SPIONs στα πολυμερικά μικκύλια (ποσότητα PTX, ποσότητα και μέγεθος SPIONs, μοριακό βάρος PLA-PEG, ρυθμός προσθήκης οργανικής φάσης κ.α), σε φυσιολογικές συνθήκες (pH:7.4, ιοντική ισχύς: 0.15Μ). Αναπτύχθηκε πρωτόκολλο μέσω του οποίου έγινε κατορθωτός ο διαχωρισμός των μαγνητικών νανοφορέων απο τους μη μαγνητικούς, καθώς και ο υπολογισμός της φόρτωσης-ενκαψυλίωσης PTX και SPIONs ξεχωριστά, τόσο στους μαγνητικούς και μη μαγνητικούς νανοφορείς, όσο και στο μέιγμα αυτών. Οι συγκεκριμένοι νανοφορείς χαρακτηρίζονται απο εξαιρετικά υψηλή απόδοση ενκαψυλίωσης φαρμάκου (93 %wt.) και φόρτωση φαρμάκου που ανέρχεται στο 4.8 %wt. Oι αμιγώς μαγνητικοί νανοφορείς επιδεικνύουν υψηλή απόδοση ενκαψυλίωσης νανοκρυσταλλιτών (70 %wt.), ενώ η φόρτωση σε φάρμακο και SPIONs ανέρχεται σε 5.2 και 20 %wt. αντίστοιχα. Σε αμφότερες τις περιπτώσεις οι νανοφορείς, μεγέθους (υδροδυναμική διάμετρος) 170nm, χαρακτηρίζονται απο ικανοποιητική μαγνητική συμπεριφορά. Εξετάστηκε η επίδραση του μεγέθους των νανοκρυσταλλιτών στη μαγνητική συμπεριφορά των νανοφορέων. Οι αμιγώς μαγνητικοί νανοφορείς με μεγαλύτερο μέγεθος SPIONs παρουσιάζουν καλύτερη μαγνητική συμπεριφορά. Τέλος, πραγματοποιήθηκαν μελέτες αποδέσμευσης του φαρμάκου σε PBS (0.14Μ, pH:7.4) στους 37oC και διερευνήθηκε η επίδραση της εφαρμογής εναλλασσόμενου μαγνητικού πεδίου στην αποδέσμευση της PTX απο τους μαγνητικούς νανοφορείς (Triggered Drug Release). Σε κάθε περίπτωση, παρατηρήθηκε ελεγχόμενη αποδέσμευση του φαρμάκου για 24 ώρες, σε συνθήκες που προσομοιάζουν με αυτές του πλάσματος. Ο φυσικοχημικός χαρακτηρισμός των νανοφορέων πραγματοποιήθηκε με HPLC, DLS, TGA, TEM και μαγνητοφόρηση. / Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most successful anticancer drugs against a broad range of solid tumors, such as metastatic breast cancer, ovarian cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer and AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. However, the serious systematic side effects of PTX (myelosuppression, neurotoxicity, hypersensitivity) underline the need for formulation of PTX in Drug Delivery Systems (DDS), in order to reduce the side effects and increase the bioavailability of the drug. Among DDS, polymeric micelles have drawn much attention due to their great flexibility in tuning drug solubility, micelle size, targeted drug delivery and stability. Incorporation of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanocrystals (SPIONs) inside the core of drug-loaded polymeric micelles, imparts to the final Drug Delivery System the prospect of physical (magnetic) targeting, intrinsic therapeutic function (hyperthermia-based cancer therapy under alternating external magnetic field), T2-based contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and remotely triggered drug release. These core-shell polymeric micelles having small size (100-200nm), are considered appropriate for avoiding both opsonization, macrophages attack by ReticuloEndothelial System (RES) and rapid renal clearance, thus allowing micelles to be taken up preferably by solid tumors through Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect. Therefore, such nanoassemblies encode high potential in nanomedicine, due to their dual nature (Therapeutic+Diagnostic = Theranostics). In particular, we have studied the synthesis of organophilic SPIONs through thermal decomposition. The synthetic parameters (precursor, precursor:oleic acid ratio, reaction temperature and duration, heat rate, etc.) affecting the size, shape and size distribution of the nanocrystals have also been examined thoroughly, since they play a key-role concerning the magnetic behavior of the final hybrid. Nanosized SPIONs with narrow size distribution were synthesized (5-13nm, σ: 10-20%). The preparation of poly(lactic acid)-block-poly(ethyleneglycol) (PLA-PEG) micelles encapsulating hydrophobic SPIONs, by varying the molecular weight of the polymers, the amount of SPIONs and the addition rate during micelle assembly, has also been investigated. The core-shell superparamagnetic micelles were prepared through solvent diffusion and evaporation technique (nanoprecipitation). PTX and SPIONs are being incorporated into the micelle’s hydrophobic core (PLA) through hydrophobic interactions, whereas the hydrophilic shell (PEG) stabilizes the micelles in aqueous dispersions, optimizing their colloidal stability and providing prolonged circulating time. The optimum parameters were determined, conferring to the micelles (Hydrodynamic Diameter < 200nm) high colloidal stability (up to six months) at biorelevant conditions (pH:7.4, ionic strenght: 0.15M). The next phase of the present master thesis focused on studying the factors (amount of PTX and SPIONs, molecular weight of PLA-PEG, addition rate, etc.) affecting the Loading of PTX and SPIONs into the polymeric micelles and how they can be fine-tuned towards high drug loading, while retaining their size at a scale where long circulation would not be precluded. Through protocol establishment, we have managed to separate the magnetic and non magnetic micelles, and to determine individually the loading of PTX and SPIONs for magnetic, non magnetic micelles, as well as for the mixture of them. The micelles’ mixture exhibits very high Drug Encapsulation Efficiency (93 %wt.) and 4.8 %wt. Drug Loading (D.L). Magnetic nanocarriers display high Magnetic Encapsulation Efficiency (70 %wt.), with D.L and Magnetic Loading of 5.2 and 20 %wt. respectively, In both cases, micelles demonstrate adequate magnetic behavior and small sizes (hydrodynamic diameter: 170nm), under conditions which simulate with human plasma (pH:7.4, ionic strenght: 0.15M). The effect of SPIONs’ size on the magnetic behavior of hybrid colloids, was also examined. Magnetic nanocarriers encapsulating SPIONs of greater size exhibit better magnetic behavior. Finally, we have conducted Drug release studies in PBS (0.14M, pH:7.4) at 37oC. The effect of SPIONs presence on the release profile of PTX, including triggered drug-release by application of AC magnetic field, has also been investigated. PTX-magnetic micelles exhibit Controlled Drug release for 24 hours. Several techniques have been used for the characterization of such nanoassemblies, like: HPLC, DLS, TGA, TEM, XRD, Magnetophoresis and Triggered Drug release by application of AC magnetic field.