The evolution of polymer conjugation and drug targeting for the delivery of proteins and bioactive molecules

Abstract

Polymer conjugation can be considered one of the leading approaches within the vast field of nanotechnology‐based drug delivery systems. In fact, such technology can be exploited for delivering an active molecule, such as a small drug, a protein, or genetic material, or it can be applied to other drug delivery systems as a strategy to improve their in vivo behavior or pharmacokinetic activities such as prolonging the half‐life of a drug, conferring stealth properties, providing external stimuli responsiveness, and so on. If on the one hand, polymer conjugation with biotech drug is considered the linchpin of the protein delivery field boasting several products in clinical use, on the other, despite dedicated research, conjugation with low molecular weight drugs has not yet achieved the milestone of the first clinical approval. Some of the primary reasons for this debacle are the difficulties connected to achieving selective targeting to diseased tissue, organs, or cells, which is the main goal not only of polymer conjugation but of all delivery systems of small drugs. In light of the need to achieve better drug targeting, researchers are striving to identify more sophisticated, biocompatible delivery approaches and to open new horizons for drug targeting methodologies leading to successful clinical applications. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Regulatory and Policy Issues in Nanomedicine

A Water‐Soluble Organic Photocatalyst Discovered for Highly Efficient Additive‐Free Visible‐Light‐Driven Grafting of Polymers from Proteins at Ambient and Aqueous Environments

“…[4][5][6] As a result, more than 16 PEGylated protein drugs have received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have been used clinically worldwide. [7] In addition to conventional PEGylated proteins, protein-polymer conjugates (PPCs) are expected to play an essential role for a variety of emerging applications such as nanomedicine, [8,9] plastics degradation, [10] protein-based membranes/columns for precious metal capture, [11,12] and enzyme catalysis in chemical synthesis via manipulating catalytic activity of enzymes in organic media. [13] Efficient and site-selective conjugation of a structurally well-defined polymer with Since the pioneering discovery of a protein bound to poly(ethylene glycol), the utility of protein-polymer conjugates (PPCs) is rapidly expanding to currently emerging applications.…”

“…[ 4–6 ] As a result, more than 16 PEGylated protein drugs have received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and have been used clinically worldwide. [ 7 ] In addition to conventional PEGylated proteins, protein–polymer conjugates (PPCs) are expected to play an essential role for a variety of emerging applications such as nanomedicine, [ 8,9 ] plastics degradation, [ 10 ] protein‐based membranes/columns for precious metal capture, [ 11,12 ] and enzyme catalysis in chemical synthesis via manipulating catalytic activity of enzymes in organic media. [ 13 ]…”

Functionalization of Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Systems and Its Influence in Cancer Therapy

“…Functionalization by adding organic moieties to curb this setback (See in Figure 1 ) is, therefore, necessary [ 12 ]. Recently, the focal point in drug delivery technology has been the designs/functionalization and applications of NPDDS; for example, polymer and surface conjugations are being explored [ 13 , 14 ].…”

From Residues to Added-Value Bacterial Biopolymers as Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

“…However, these nanocarriers interact massively with their environment, e.g., biological fluids and cells, where they are rapidly removed by the mononuclear phagocyte system. In order to prolong their half-life, surface modification by means of coating with biopolymers (or direct formulations of biopolymer nanocarriers) has largely proven to confer stealth properties to the resulting nanosystems [7], which help to evade the immune system, thus prolonging their therapeutic effects. Bacterial polymers are particularly interesting for nanocarrier formulations due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability properties, which enable the release of the encapsulated compound associated with the degradation of the polymeric matrix into nontoxic monomers.…”