Photo-Degradable Micelles Capable of Releasing of Carbon Monoxide under Visible Light Irradiation.

Carbon monoxide (CO) has emerged as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of many diseases. However, the therapeutic outcome is highly dependent on the dosages and administration sites. Hence, there is mounting interest in the development of CO-releasing materials to accomplish site-specific and dose-controlled delivery of CO. Herein, a micellar nanoparticle platform for the photo-mediated release of CO by using amphiphilic triblock copolymers bearing CO-releasing moieties of 3-hydroxylflavone (3-HF) derivatives within the middle blocks is developed. These micelles are relatively stable without CO leakage but undergo visible light-mediated CO release and simultaneous main chain scission. Moreover, these micellar nanoparticles are cytocompatible regardless of light irradiation, which shows unique anti-inflammatory performance only after light irradiation as a result of photo-triggered CO release. This work may represent the first example of main-chain degradable micellar nanocarriers with controlled CO-releasing performance for potential anti-inflammatory applications.