Stimuli-responsive copolymer solution and surface assemblies for biomedical applications

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive polymeric materials is one of the fastest growing fields of the 21st century, with the annual number of papers published more than quadrupling in the last ten years. The responsiveness of polymer solution assemblies and surfaces to biological stimuli (e.g. pH, reduction-oxidation, enzymes, glucose) and externally applied triggers (e.g. temperature, light, solvent quality) shows particular promise for various biomedical applications including drug delivery, tissue engineering, medical diagnostics, and bioseparations. Furthermore, the integration of copolymer architectures into stimuli-responsive materials design enables exquisite control over the locations of responsive sites within self-assembled nanostructures. The combination of new synthesis techniques and well-defined copolymer self-assembly has facilitated substantial developments in stimuli-responsive materials in recent years. In this tutorial review, we discuss several methods that have been employed to synthesize self-assembling and stimuli-responsive copolymers for biomedical applications, and we identify common themes in the response mechanisms among the targeted stimuli. Additionally, we highlight parallels between the chemistries used for generating solution assemblies and those employed for creating copolymer surfaces.

Folate-decorated hydrophilic three-arm star-block terpolymer as a novel nanovehicle for targeted co-delivery of doxorubicin and Bcl-2 siRNA in breast cancer therapy

“…disulfide, hydrazone, cis-aconityl) has some superiorities over physical entrapment of DOX, such as improved total drug payload, minimized drug loss during circulation, and rapid drug release upon entering cancer cells [33]. These effects benefit from the fact that cancer cells have a more acidic pH (4.5-6.0) and a much higher reducibility (~1000-fold higher glutathione (GSH) concentration) inside the cell than outside [34,35]. Hence, incorporation of pH-/reduction-responsive properties into star-block copolymers can significantly expand their application scope.…”

Molecular imprinting: perspectives and applications

“…hydrodynamic volume of the polymer chains, which undergo a volume phase transition from a compact state to a swelling state. 279 There are two types of pH-sensitive polyelectrolytes,…”

pH‐ and β‐cyclodextrin‐responsive micelles based on polyaspartamide derivatives as drug carrier

“…[5][6][7] Different organs, tissues, and cellular compartments may possess large differences in pH, which makes the pH an alternative stimulus for drug release. 8,9 In the recent years, drug delivery systems capable of releasing their payload in response to pH stimuli have received much attention, whether to target tissues, to reach specific intracellular locations, or to promote drug release. [10][11][12] The imine linkage is relatively stable in neutral and alkaline environment, although higher acidity destroys it, which can serve as potential pH-responsive linkers in polymer.…”