Multifunctional block copolymers as solubilizers for hydrophobic and mineral substances : Towards the dissolution of atherosclerotic plaques

Abstract

Coronary arteriosclerosis and the related cardiovascular diseases represent one of the most serious health problems in the Western Hemisphere, which causes around 40 % of all human deaths. To address this serious problem, this thesis investigates the novel therapeutic approach to apply tailor-made polymer particles as potential medical candidates for reverse progression of atherosclerosis.To this end, multifunctional macromolecular surfactants have been developed in this thesis with the aim to extract specific components from high-risk atherosclerotic plaques, namely hydrophobic cholesterol and ionic hydroxyapatite, bind them within stable particles and remove them from the body over the renal pathway.Various multifunctional polymers were screened in specific test systems that have emerged ideal structures for cholesterol uptake (up to 24 wt%) with small particle sizes (30 nm). Additionally, specific polymeric nanoparticles were assessed in biological environments having demonstrated that the substances can absorb cholesterol even inside living cells and are biocompatible and non-toxic. Ultimately, in-vivo mice experiments revealed the distribution of the polymeric particles in the entire circulation system and the subsequent excretion over the renal pathway.