Size of drug (GemRA)-loaded PGRA micelles and the morphology determined
via (A) dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron
microscopy (TEM), size of the scale bar in TEM image = 50 nm; (B)
stability of GemRA loaded micelles in aqueous solution (stored at 4 °C in
between DLS and zeta potential measurements which were made at 25 °C
(average of 5 measurements)); (C) stability of GemRA-loaded NPs in
fetal bovine serum (FBS) at 37 °C (one measurement per time point);
(D) drug retention characteristics of the GemRA-loaded NPs at
pH 7.4, 37 °C in comparison to free gemcitabine (N=2);
(E and F) comparison of the stability of free gemcitabine,
GemRA and drug-loaded micelles towards cytidine deaminase deactivation to the
inactive gemcitabine metabolite dFdU (2′,2′-difluorodeoxyuridine),
(E) shows amount of drug left over time and (F)
shows the amount of dFdU formed (N=2).