Multifunctional Temperature-Sensitive\nLipid–Protein–Polymer\nConjugates: Tailored Drug Delivery and Bioimaging

In this study, we introduce a protein–polymer\nbioconjugate\ncomprising bovine serum albumin (BSA) and a lipid-based thermoresponsive\nblock copolymer. These amphiphilic BSA-polymer conjugates can autonomously\nbe organized into vesicular compartments for codelivery of glucose\noxidase (GOx) and doxorubicin (DOX), demonstrating high drug loading\ncontent and remarkable antitumor activity via synergistic cancer therapy\ncombining chemo-starvation strategies. Through the incorporation of\na hydrophilic BSA block, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST)\nof the bioconjugates is tuned to around 40 °C, facilitating their\ntargeted drug delivery to tumor cells. Consequently, these smart protein–polymer\nconjugates present greater promise compared to traditional drug delivery\nvehicles, particularly in the realm of anticancer therapy. Moreover,\nthese bioconjugates displayed enhanced intracellular fluorescence\nintensity with increasing temperature, attributed to the clustering-triggered\nemission of the nonconventional chromophore moieties within poly(vinylcaprolactam)\n(PNVCL). The active aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristic\nand excellent biocompatibility suggest an opportunity to further apply\nthese bioconjugates for biosensing and cellular imaging.