Polymers and particles for biomedical applications

Our work on the development of biomedical imaging probes and therapeutic materials includes (macro-)molecular and colloidal systems for the specific recognition and binding of tumor cells or for the selective uptake of toxins. The respective carrier materials consist of bio-inspired polymers, functional swollen polymer networks with a high internal surface area for the absorption of substances and aqueous dispersible semiconductor polymer particles. For biomedical imaging, we are currently concentrating on materials with photoacoustic activity. This allows deep penetration into tissue layers coupled with the principle of ultrasound imaging, but with improved resolution and for the specific labelling of pathogenic tissue. In particular, we are investigating conjugated polymer particles that are biodegradable and are therefore particularly suitable for IR fluorescence or photoacoustic imaging. In combination with plasmonic inorganic nanoparticles, these effects can be further enhanced.    

T. Repenko, A. Rix, J. Rose, W. Lederle, L. De Laporte, A. J. C. Kuehne, “A Watersoluble PEGylated RGD-functionalized Bisbithiophenyl Diketopyrrolopyrrole Sonophore for Photoacoustic Imaging”, Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences 201817, 617–621.

 

T. Repenko, A. Rix, A. Nedilko, J. Rose, A. Hermann, R. Vinokur, R. Cao-Milàn, G. von Plessen, T. A. F. König, A. Fery, L. De Laporte, W. Lederle, D. N. Chigrin, A. J. C. Kuehne, “Strong photoacoustic signal enhancement by coating gold nanoparticles with melanin for biomedical imaging”, Advanced Functional Materials 2017, 28, 1705607.

 

A. J. C. Kuehne, “Conjugated polymer nanoparticles towards in vivo theranostics – Focus on targeting, imaging, therapy and the importance of clearance”, Advanced Biosystems 2017, 1, 1700100.

 

T. Repenko, A. Rix, S. Ludwanowski, D. Go,W. Lederle, A. J. C. Kuehne, “Bio-degradable highly fluorescent conjugated polymer nanoparticles for bio-medical imaging applications”, Nature Communications 2017, 8, 470.

 

A. Jans, R. R. Rosencrantz, A. D. Mandic, N. Anwar, C. Trautwein, M. Moeller, G. Sellge, L. Elling, A. J. C. Kuehne, “Glycan functionalized microgels for scavenging and specific binding of lectins”, Biomacromolecules 2017, 18, 1460–1465.

 

T. Femmer, A. Jans, R. Eswein, N. Anwar, M. Moeller, M. Wessling, A. J. C. Kuehne, ”High throughput generation of emulsions and microgels in parallelized microfluidic drop-makers prepared by rapid prototyping”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2015, 7, 12635–12638.

 

N. Anwar, A. Rix, W. Lederle, A. J. C. Kuehne, ”RGD-decorated conjugated polymer particles as fluorescent bio-medical probes prepared by Sonogashira dispersion polymerization”, Chemical Communications 2015, 51, 9358–9361.

 

T. Repenko, S. Fokong, L. De Laporte, D. Go, F. Kiessling, T. Lammers, A. J. C. Kuehne, ”Water-soluble dopamine-based polymers for photoacoustic imaging”, Chemical Communications 2015, 51, 6084–6087.