Length vs. stiffness: which plays a dominant role in the cellular uptake of fructose-based rod-like micelles by breast cancer cells in 2D and 3D cell culture models?

. The cellular uptake of these different rod-like micelles by breast cancer cells was investigated. In vitro studies via 2D and 3D cell culture models reveal that stiffer rods exhibit a higher cellular uptake and a deeper penetration into cells than the soft rod-like micelles. These results indicate that the internalization of rod-like micelles is significantly affected by their stiffness, though the length of rods also plays an important role. Our results yield a fundamental understanding of the stiffness effect of rod-like micelles on cellular uptake.