Nanoparticles stabilized with nitrophenylboronic acid compositions

1. A nanoparticle comprising a polymer containing a polyol and a polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid,

wherein the polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid is coupled to the polymer containing a polyol with a reversible covalent linkage, and

wherein the nanoparticle is configured to present the polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid to an environment external to the nanoparticle.

2. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer containing a polyol comprises one or more of at least one of the following structural units

wherein

A is an organic moiety of formula

in which

R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from any carbon-based or organic group with a molecular weight of about 10 kDa or less;

X is independently selected from an aliphatic group containing one or more of —H, —F, —C, —N or —O; and

Y is independently selected from —OH or an organic moiety presenting an —OH,

and

B is an organic moiety linking one of the R 1 and R 2 of a first said moiety A with one of the R 1 and R 2 of a second said moiety A in the polymer.

3. The nanoparticle of claim 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 independently have the formula:

wherein

d is from 0 to 100;

e is from 0 to 100;

f is from 0 to 100;

Z is a covalent bond linking one organic moiety to another, and

Z 1 is independently selected from —NH 2 , —OH, —SH, and —COOH.

4. The nanoparticle of claim 2 ,

wherein

X is C n H 2n+1 , in which n is to 0-5; and

wherein

Y is —OH.

5. The nanoparticle of claim 2 , wherein A is independently selected from the group consisting of

wherein

the spacer is independently selected from any organic group;

the amino acid is selected from any organic group bearing a free amine and a free carboxylic acid group;

n is 1-20; and

Z 1 is independently selected from —NH 2 , —OH, —SH, and —COOH.

6. The nanoparticle of claim 5 , wherein A is independently selected from

7. The nanoparticle of claim 2 , wherein B is

in which

q is 1-20;

p is 20-200; and

L is a leaving group.

8. The nanoparticle of claim 2 , wherein the structural unit of formula (I) is:

9. The nanoparticle of claim 2 , wherein the structural unit of formula (II) is:

10. The nanoparticle of claim 2 , wherein the structural unit of formula (III) is:

in which

n is 1-20.

11. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer containing a polyol is

12. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid comprises at least one terminal nitrophenylboronic acid group and has the general formula:

wherein

R 3 and R 4 are independently an hydrophilic organic polymer,

X 1 is an organic moiety containing one or more of —C, —N, or —B,

Y 1 is a phenyl group having one or more nitro groups,

r is 1-1000,

a 0, 1, 2, or 3,

b is 1, 2, or 3, and

wherein functional group 1 and functional group 2 are the same or different and independently comprise —B(OH) 2 , —OCH 3 , —(X 1 )—(Y 1 )—B(OH) 2 , —COOH, —NH 2 , or —OH.

13. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein R 3 and R 4 are (CH 2 CH 2 O) t , where t is from 2 to 2000.

14. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein X 1 is —NH—C(═O)—, —S—S—, —C(═O)—NH—, —O—C(═O)— or —C(═O)—O— and Y 1 is a phenyl group having one or more nitro groups.

15. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein r=1, a=0 and b=1.

16. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein functional group 1 and functional group 2 are the same or different and are independently —B(OH) 2 , —OCH 3 , —OH, or —COOH.

17. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein the polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid is:

wherein s is a number from 20 to 300.

18. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , further comprising a compound, wherein the compound is a therapeutic agent.

19. The nanoparticle of claim 18 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a small molecule chemotherapeutic agent or a polynucleotide.

20. The nanoparticle of claim 19 , wherein the polynucleotide is interfering RNA.

21. The nanoparticle of claim 18 , wherein the small molecule chemotherapeutic is camptothecin, an epothilone, a taxane or any combination thereof.

22. A composition comprising the nanoparticle of claim 1 and a suitable vehicle and/or excipient.

23. The composition of claim 22 , wherein the composition is a pharmaceutical composition and the suitable vehicle and/or excipient is a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle and/or excipient.

24. The composition of claim 23 , wherein the nanoparticle further comprises 10 B as part of at least one polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid the composition being formulated for in vivo boron neutron activation therapy.

25. A method to deliver a compound to a target, the method comprising contacting the target with the nanoparticle of claim 18 .

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the target is a cancer cell within the body of a mammal.

27. A system to deliver a compound to a target, the system comprising

at least one polymer containing a polyol and at least one polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid capable of reciprocal binding through a reversible covalent linkage,

the at least one polymer containing a polyol and the at least one polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid to be assembled with the compound in the nanoparticle of claim 18 to be used to deliver the compound to the target.

28. A method to administer a compound to an individual, the method comprising

administering to the individual the nanoparticle of claim 18 comprising the compound.

29. A system for administering a compound to an individual, the system comprising

at least one polymer containing a polyol and at least one polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid capable of reciprocal binding through a reversible covalent linkage,

the at least one polymer containing a polyol and polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid to be assembled with the compound in a nanoparticle according to claim 18 , to be administered to the individual.

30. The nanoparticle of claim 17 , wherein the polymer containing a nitrophenylboronic acid is:

wherein s is a number from 20 to 300.