Octreotide end-functionalized diblock copolymers facilitated by RAFT polymerization

The incorporation of biologically active targeting ligands into polymeric materials is a key challenge in drug delivery and bioimaging. Reported here is the synthesis of diblock copolymers end-functionalized with the Somatostatin analog Octreotide. This methodology employs a novel Octreotide functional reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization chain transfer agent, which is used to mediate the polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide and subsequent chain-extension with N,N-dimethylacrylamide.