Engineering Polymersomes for Diagnostics and Therapy

Abstract

Engineered polymer vesicles, termed as polymersomes, confer a flexibility to control their structure, properties, and functionality. Self-assembly of amphiphilic copolymers leads to vesicles consisting of a hydrophobic bilayer membrane and hydrophilic core, each of which is loaded with a wide array of small and large molecules of interests. As such, polymersomes are increasingly being studied as carriers of imaging probes and therapeutic drugs. Effective delivery of polymersomes necessitates careful design of polymersomes. Therefore, this review article discusses the design strategies of polymersomes developed for enhanced transport and efficacy of imaging probes and therapeutic drugs. In particular, the article focuses on overviewing technologies to regulate the size, structure, shape, surface activity, and stimuli- responsiveness of polymersomes and discussing the extent to which these properties and structure of polymersomes influence the efficacy of cargo molecules. Taken together with future considerations, this article will serve to improve the controllability of polymersome functions and accelerate the use of polymersomes in biomedical applications.

Twenty-five years of polymersomes: lost in translation?

“…5 This study is the origin of the widely propagated notion that polymersomes are considerably more stable than liposomes. 8,[12][13][14][15][16] While the evidence put forward by Discher et al clearly showed superior mechanical properties of the investigated polymersomes over the liposomal control, comparisons with additional control formulations need to be performed as clinically used liposome formulations differ greatly from SOPC vesicles both in terms of phospholipid phase transition temperature and cholesterol content. 17 In liposomes, hydrogenation of the phospholipid improves membrane packing and thus leads to increased toughness and lower permeability.…”

Reconstitution properties of biologically active polymersomes after cryogenic freezing and a freeze-drying process

“…Moreover, they are also usable as versatile materials in the eld of drug delivery, bio-imaging, diagnostics, and theranostics. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] The great interest in them, fabricated by the assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers, is derived from the higher mechanical stability of polymeric membranes compared to their natural counterparts, the phospholipid bilayers, also named liposomes. 1,2,10,11 Generally, these polymeric vesicles possess versatile properties for successful use in biomedical applications.…”

“…Studies on the surface functionalization of polymersomes have been carried out, while the loading of drugs, proteins and enzymes by polymersomes' cavity and membrane is also possible. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Furthermore, various kinds of polymersomes address the required biological and pharmacological properties for in vitro and in vivo studies. However, the encapsulation of enzymes without deactivation by polymersomes and their long-term use for biomedical applications are still challenging issues.…”

Dual Polymerizations: Untapped Potential for Biomaterials

“…Polymersomes, bilayer vesicles consisting of polymer building blocks, have also been used to deliver diagnostic agents, hydrophobic chemotherapeutics such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel, and hydrophilic molecules such as genes and proteins . Polymersomes exhibit prolonged circulation in the body due to diminished opsonization compared to liposomes and slower kinetics of disassembly below the critical micelle concentration (CMC) due to the greater molecular weight of the building blocks .…”