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ABSTRACT Polycarbonate microspheres TT-PC containing tetanus toxoid vaccine (TT) were prepared by the modified water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) solvent evaporation technique, using poly(trimethylene carbonate- co−5,5-dimethyl trimethylene carbonate) (P(TMC- co-DTC), or PC) as a polymeric carrier. TT release studies showed that the microspheres sustained a steady release rate of TT in the phosphate buffer saline solution (0.1 mol L−1, pH 7.4) in vitro for 60 days. In vivo cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that the polycarbonate microspheres had low toxicity and high safety in vivo in guinea pigs. Immunity and inoculation tests indicated that the TT-PC microspheres acted as an immunological adjuvant in vivo in guinea pigs. In guinea pigs attacked with an active tetanus toxoid, an injection of the TT-PC microspheres with a single-dose and booster vaccination induced high levels of antitoxin efficiencies in the blood serum, showing good immunoprotection. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 40048. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polycarbonate copolymers poly[trimethylene carbonate- co-2-phenyl-5,5-bis(hydroxymethyl) trimethylene carbonate] [P(TMC- co-PTC)] were synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and 2-phenyl-5,5-bis(hydroxymethyl) trimethylene carbonate (PTC) with tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate and aluminum isopropoxide as the catalysts. These copolymers were further reduced by a palladium/carbonate (Pd/C; 10%) catalyst to produce partly deprotected copolymers. These two types of copolymers were characterized by 1H-NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and an automatic contact angle meter. The influences of the feed molar ratio of the monomers, the catalyst concentration, the reaction time, and the reaction temperature on the copolymerization process were also studied. The copolymerization of the TMC and PTC monomers was a nonideal copolymerization, and the copolymerization reactivity ratio of TMC was higher than that of PTC. In vitro degradation tests indicated that the partly deprotected copolymers possessed faster degradation rates and more hydrophilicity than the corresponding unreduced copolymers. Moreover, the degradation of these two type copolymers increased when the pH value of the buffer solutions decreased. In vitro drug-release experiments showed that these two types of copolymers had steady drug-release rates and good controlled release properties. Moreover, the partly deprotected copolymers had faster drug-release rates than the corresponding unreduced copolymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which involved the development of anticancer magnetic polymer microspheres with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) genes. The water-in-oil-in-water solvent evaporation technique was used to produce the polymer microspheres with results showing a sustained release rate of the TNF-α genes for up to 60 hours. A new method of drug release for liver carcinoma treatment shown by high antitumor activity and inhibitory rate of the microspheres is proposed.