Environmental-Sensitive Hyperbranched Polymers as Drug Carriers

Authors: Jiang, Guohua¹; Chen, Wenxing²; Xia, Wei²

Source: Designed Monomers & Polymers, Volume 11, Number 2, 2008 , pp. 105-122(18)

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Abstract:

The present review deals with the design and preparation of environment-sensitive hyperbranched polymers, such as pH-, temperature-sensitive and salt-triggered polymers, in order to be employed as drug-delivery system. In particular, using known and well-characterized basic hyperbranched polymers as starting materials, this review discusses the kind of structural modifications that these polymers were subjected to for preparing nanocarriers of low toxicity, high encapsulating capacity, specificity to certain biological cells and transport ability under different environment conditions. Due to the great number of external groups of hyperbranched polymers either functionalization or multifunctionalization can occur, providing products that fulfill one or more of the requirements that an effective drug carrier should exhibit. Thus, hyperbranched polymers will play a significant role in the future development of new biomedical devices for the treatment of human diseases.

Keywords: ENVIRONMENT-SENSITIVE POLYMERS; HYPERBRANCHED; ENCAPSULATION; CONTROLLED DRUG RELEASE

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156855508X298017

Affiliations: 1: Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology, College of Materials and Textile, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Ministry of Education, 310018 Zhejiang, P. R. China;, Email: huajelly2004@yahoo.com.cn 2: Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology, College of Materials and Textile, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Ministry of Education, 310018 Zhejiang, P. R. China

Publication date: 2008-03-01