Miktoarm Star Polymers: Branched Architectures in Drug Delivery

Abstract

Delivering active pharmaceutical agents to disease sites using soft polymeric nanoparticles continues to be a topical area of research. It is becoming increasingly evident that the composition of amphiphilic macromolecules plays a significant role in developing efficient nanoformulations. Branched architectures with asymmetric polymeric arms emanating from a central core junction have provided a pivotal venue to tailor their key parameters. The build-up of miktoarm stars offers vast polymer arm tunability, aiding in the development of macromolecules with adjustable properties, and allows facile inclusion of endogenous stimulus-responsive entities. Miktoarm star-based micelles have been demonstrated to exhibit denser coronae, very low critical micelle concentrations, high drug loading contents, and sustained drug release profiles. With significant advances in chemical methodologies, synthetic articulation of miktoarm polymer architecture, and determination of their structure-property relationships, are now becoming streamlined. This is helping advance their implementation into formulating efficient therapeutic interventions. This review brings into focus the important discoveries in the syntheses of miktoarm stars of varied compositions, their aqueous self-assembly, and contributions their formulations are making in advancing the field of drug delivery.

Dendrons and Dendritic Terpolymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Self-Assembly Comparison

“…For the synthesis of dendritic polymers, anionic [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ], click-chemistry [ 35 ] and organometal-catalyzed [ 36 ] techniques have already been employed and are reported in the literature. Due to their distinctive structures, dendritic polymers and/or dendrimers exhibit unique properties, rendering them suitable to be widely used in various applications [ 37 , 38 ], such as: drug delivery [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ], catalytic systems [ 43 , 44 ], membranes [ 45 ], bioimaging [ 46 , 47 ], etc.…”

Amphiphilic well‐defined degradable star block copolymers by combination of ring‐opening polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization: Synthesis and application as drug delivery carriers

“…Star BCPs have attracted broad attention due to their small atomic spatial arrangement size and hydrodynamic volume, unique spherical symmetric architecture, narrow MW distribution, and high degree of functionality at the molecular surface, in comparison with linear BCPs 18 . These features are particularly relevant considering biomedical applications, such as gene or drug delivery 7,19 . However, the possible toxicity, lack of biocompatibility, and non‐degradability of polymers prepared by RDRP might sometimes prevent their use in this field.…”

“…18 These features are particularly relevant considering biomedical applications, such as gene or drug delivery. 7,19 However, the possible toxicity, lack of biocompatibility, and non-degradability of polymers prepared by RDRP might sometimes prevent their use in this field.…”

Miktoarm Star Polymers with Environment‐Selective ROS/GSH Responsive Locations: From Modular Synthesis to Tuned Drug Release through Micellar Partial Corona Shedding and/or Core Disassembly

“…[ 10–13 ] In the light of the significant opportunities provided by these branched architectures in a diverse range of applications, there has been tremendous effort devoted to developing novel strategies for their construction, which can lead to better control of their overall composition. [ 16–22 ] These synthetic articulations will also continue to strengthen designing miktoarm star‐polymer based formulations with a desired combination of properties for efficient therapeutic interventions. [ 16,22–28 ]…”

“…[ 16–22 ] These synthetic articulations will also continue to strengthen designing miktoarm star‐polymer based formulations with a desired combination of properties for efficient therapeutic interventions. [ 16,22–28 ]…”