Thermosensitive Self-Assembling Block Copolymers as Drug Delivery Systems

Polymers

Giulia Bonacucina¹  Marco Cespi¹  Giovanna Mencarelli¹  Gianfabio Giorgioni¹ 

[1] School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via S. Agostino 1, I-62032 Camerino (MC), Italy;

关键词: self-assembling;    block copolymers;    sol-gel;    thermogel;    drug delivery;   

DOI  :  10.3390/polym3020779

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Self-assembling block copolymers (poloxamers, PEG/PLA and PEG/PLGA diblock and triblock copolymers, PEG/polycaprolactone, polyether modified poly(Acrylic Acid)) with large solubility difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties have the property of forming temperature dependent micellar aggregates and, after a further temperature increase, of gellifying due to micelle aggregation or packing. This property enables drugs to be mixed in the sol state at room temperature then the solution can be injected into a target tissue, forming a gel depot in-situ at body temperature with the goal of providing drug release control. The presence of micellar structures that give rise to thermoreversible gels, characterized by low toxicity and mucomimetic properties, makes this delivery system capable of solubilizing water-insoluble or poorly soluble drugs and of protecting labile molecules such as proteins and peptide drugs.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.