Environmental-Sensitive Hyperbranched Polymers as Drug Carriers

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.  Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2008

Self‐Assembly of Hyperbranched Polymers and Its Biomedical Applications

“…Environment responsive HBP micelles can change their volume, structure or property with respect to the environmental stimuli such as pH, temperature, ionic strength etc.. [117][118][119][120][121][122][123] These characteristics are very useful to realize the smart drug delivery. Both intracellular signals such as pH fl uctuation and external stimulus such as temperature variation have been used to trigger the controllable release of drugs loaded in the responsive micelles.…”

Facile one-pot synthesis of fluorescent hyperbranched polymers for optical detection of glucose

“…In addition, hyperbranched fluorescent polymers are usually prepared by facile one-pot synthesis from specific monomers with branching potential. [3][4][5][6][7][8] For example, we have reported the hyperbranched poly (amidoamine)s (HPAMAMs) that synthesized by Michael addition of 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperazine (AEPZ) and methyl acrylate (MA) can emit bright blue fluorescence intensity under excitation wavelength. [9,10] The fluorescence intensity of the polymers increased correspondingly with the increasing tertiary nitrogen in the molecular structure by alkylation of the residual amino protons of HPAMAMs with propylene oxide.…”

PCEC hydrogel used on sustained‐release hyaluronic acid delivery with lubrication effect

“…PCL is biodegradable and biocompatible, which has been studied as a drug delivery carrier in vitro and in vivo for many years . But PCL has strong hydrophobic effect because there are five methylene groups in its repeating unit, and the chemical property limits its application in medicine . Meanwhile, the lubrication of artificial joints needs continuous lubrication protection for the frictional interface to prevent debris from generation.…”