Enhanced cellular uptake of nanoparticles by increasing the hydrophobicity of poly(lactic acid) through copolymerization with cell-membrane-lipid componentsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental part, methods, materials, analytics. See DOI: 10.1039/c5cc06397c

The influence of hydrophobicity on the internalization of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) remains poorly investigated. The hydrophobicity of poly( l -lactide) was increased by copolymerization with cell-membrane-lipid components, and this significantly enhanced the uptake of NPs up to 60% in the human cervical cancer cell line in comparison to unmodified poly( l -lactide) NPs. The incorporation of cell membrane lipids into the poly(lactic acid) backbone enhances the cellular uptake of nanoparticles via increased hydrophobicity.