Figure 1. Saturated farnesol-loaded NPC formulation improved drug loading capacity.

A) Scheme showing NPC polymer composition and self-assembly in aqueous conditions. B) Chemical structure of farnesol and cartoon showing standard approach of drug loading in hydrophobic cores. C) Cartoon showing saturated drug loading formulation where drug is both loaded into and surrounding NPC. D) Dynamic Light Scattering results showing increases in NPC size for standard loaded and saturated loaded NP12/3a and NP12/12 compared to NPC alone (and compared to theoretical values based on volumetric diameter calculations). Data shown as average and standard deviation from n≥3 independent measurements. # p ≤ 0.0001 versus 0 mg/mL Far/2.7 mg/mL NPC CCR 4 measured group; $ p ≤ 0.01 versus 1.0 mg/mL Far/2.7 mg/mL NPC CCR 4 measured group from two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparison’s test. E) Drug loading capacity and F) drug loading efficiency graphs comparing NP12/3a (CCR 4) and NP12/12 (CCR 1) with standard farnesol loading to saturated farnesol loading approach. Data shown as average and standard deviation from n=2–4 independent experiments. & = no significant difference, *p ≤ 0.05, ****p ≤ 0.0001 versus standard loading from unpaired Student t-test. Abbreviations: AIBN, 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile); BMA, butyl methacrylate; CTA, chain transfer agent; DMAEMA, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate; DMF, dimethylformamide; DP, degree of polymerization; ECT, 4-cyano-4-[(ethylsulfanylthiocarbonyl)sulfanyl]pentanoic acid; PAA, propylacrylic acid.