Nanoparticles with In Vivo Anticancer Activity from Polymer Prodrug Amphiphiles Prepared by Living Radical Polymerization

Magic rubber bullets: Novel anticancer nanoparticles made of well-defined polymer–drug conjugate amphiphiles are prepared by the controlled growth of a hydrophobic polyisoprene chain from a drug macroinitiator by using nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP; see picture). The resulting conjugates self-assembled into nanoparticles exhibiting high drug payloads and significant anticancer activities both in vitro and in vivo.