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European Journal of Pharmaceutics and... Nov 2015Since the legendary 1964 article of Folkman and Long entitled "The use of silicone rubber as a carrier for prolonged drug therapy" the role of polymers in controlled... (Review)
Review
Since the legendary 1964 article of Folkman and Long entitled "The use of silicone rubber as a carrier for prolonged drug therapy" the role of polymers in controlled drug delivery has come a long way. Today it is evident that polymers play a crucial if not the prime role in this field. The latest boost owes to the interest in drug delivery for the purpose of tissue engineering in regenerative medicine. The focus of this commentary is on a selection of general and personal observations that are characteristic for the current state of polymer therapeutics and carriers. It briefly highlights selected examples for the long march of synthetic polymer-drug conjugates from bench to bedside, comments on the ambivalence of selected polymers as inert excipients versus biological response modifiers, and on the yet unsolved dilemma of cationic polymers for the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics. Further subjects are the complex design of multifunctional polymeric carriers including recent concepts towards functional supramolecular polymers, as well as observations on stimuli-sensitive polymers and the currently ongoing trend towards natural and naturally-derived biopolymers. The final topic is the discovery and early development of a novel type of biodegradable polyesters for parenteral use. Altogether, it is not the basic and applied research in polymer therapeutics and carriers, but the translational process that is the key hurdle to proceed towards an authoritative approval of new polymer therapeutics and carriers.
Topics: Cell-Penetrating Peptides; Chitosan; DNA; Drug Carriers; Drug Delivery Systems; Polyethylene Glycols; Polyglutamic Acid; Polymers
PubMed: 26614554
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2015.04.038 -
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach,... Jan 2015As a novel class of dynamic and non-covalent polymers, supramolecular polymers not only display specific structural and physicochemical properties, but also have the... (Review)
Review
As a novel class of dynamic and non-covalent polymers, supramolecular polymers not only display specific structural and physicochemical properties, but also have the ability to undergo reversible changes of structure, shape, and function in response to diverse external stimuli, making them promising candidates for widespread applications ranging from academic research to industrial fields. By an elegant combination of dynamic/reversible structures with exceptional functions, functional supramolecular polymers are attracting increasing attention in various fields. In particular, functional supramolecular polymers offer several unique advantages, including inherent degradable polymer backbones, smart responsiveness to various biological stimuli, and the ease for the incorporation of multiple biofunctionalities (e.g., targeting and bioactivity), thereby showing great potential for a wide range of applications in the biomedical field. In this Review, the trends and representative achievements in the design and synthesis of supramolecular polymers with specific functions are summarized, as well as their wide-ranging biomedical applications such as drug delivery, gene transfection, protein delivery, bio-imaging and diagnosis, tissue engineering, and biomimetic chemistry. These achievements further inspire persistent efforts in an emerging interdisciplin-ary research area of supramolecular chemistry, polymer science, material science, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Polymers
PubMed: 25393728
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201402975 -
Carbohydrate Polymers Nov 2022Microencapsulation is an emerging process in which an active substance is entrapped in a homogeneous or heterogeneous matrix to form capsules. This technique allows... (Review)
Review
Microencapsulation is an emerging process in which an active substance is entrapped in a homogeneous or heterogeneous matrix to form capsules. This technique allows reducing the adverse effects of the external environment on encapsulated compounds, ensuring their stability through manipulation and transport besides enabling their controlled release. Microencapsulation is particularly suitable to protect sensitive materials such as living organisms, thus providing them an appropriate environment to behave and act as if they were in their natural habitat. The used matrix is generally composed of polymers, due to their ability to form flexible networks. Chitosan, a linear polysaccharide obtained from chitin, is a prime microencapsulation polymer by itself or in combination with other polymers owing to its cationic nature, biodegradability, non-toxicity and mucoadhesive properties. This review aims to present the diverse chitosan modifications, adaptations and crosslinking through the microencapsulation of somatic cells, bacteria, yeasts and microalgaes.
Topics: Capsules; Chitin; Chitosan; Polymers
PubMed: 35989017
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119877 -
Macromolecular Rapid Communications Jul 2018Modification of material surfaces with polymers is an effective method to develop applicable polymer-material composites. Recently, multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have... (Review)
Review
Modification of material surfaces with polymers is an effective method to develop applicable polymer-material composites. Recently, multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have found their roles in advanced polymer chemistry and applied in surface modification. In this mini review, recent results of MCRs for surface modification are summarized, including the utilization of MCRs as coupling tools to link polymers on material surfaces, and polymers containing multicomponent structures for surface modification. The unique properties of these polymer-material composites stemming from MCRs are introduced, and the preliminary applications of these composites are also discussed.
Topics: Models, Chemical; Polymers; Surface Properties
PubMed: 29770513
DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800064 -
Stomatologija 2017The aim of this study is to review polyether ether ketone (PEEK), its characteristics and use in prosthodontics. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to review polyether ether ketone (PEEK), its characteristics and use in prosthodontics.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Information search for articles about PEEK and it's use in prosthodontics between January 2010 and April 2017 was conducted in Medline via PubMed, Science direct, Wiley online library as well as the Web search Google Scholar sources. Twelve full text articles were selected and used in this review.
RESULTS
143 articles were found in the database using keywords: PEEK, prosthodontics, dentistry. Data on the suitability of PEEK polymer were organized according to mechanical, chemical, physical properties and PEEK surface preparation.
CONCLUSIONS
PEEK polymer is suitable to use in prosthodontics. However, there are not enough statements about complications, biofilm formation on PEEK surface and its resistance to compression. More research should be done to find out the results.
Topics: Benzophenones; Biocompatible Materials; Dental Prosthesis Design; Ketones; Polyethylene Glycols; Polymers
PubMed: 29243680
DOI: No ID Found -
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces Dec 2015The combination of polymer technology and targeted drug delivery may pave the way for more effective yet safer therapeutic options for cancer therapy. Polymer-drug... (Review)
Review
The combination of polymer technology and targeted drug delivery may pave the way for more effective yet safer therapeutic options for cancer therapy. Polymer-drug conjugates belonging to polymer therapeutics represent an emerging approach for drug delivery. The development of smart targeted polymer-drug conjugates that can specifically deliver drugs at a sustained rate to tumor cells may substantially improve the therapeutic index of anticancer agents. In this update, we provide an overview of the most important targeting molecules, and systemically summarize the recent advances in the development of tumor-targeted polymer-drug conjugates. Additionally, several promising approaches for the future will also be presented.
Topics: Pharmaceutical Preparations; Polymers
PubMed: 26513756
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.10.001 -
Physical Biology Jun 2022Polymers are important components of the complex fluid environment for microorganisms. The mechanical effects on bacterial motile behavior due to the viscous or...
Polymers are important components of the complex fluid environment for microorganisms. The mechanical effects on bacterial motile behavior due to the viscous or viscoelastic properties of polymers were extensively studied, whereas possible chemical effects on bacterial motility through bacterial chemoreception of the polymers were unclear. Here we studied the chemotactic response ofto polymeric solutions by combining the bead assay and FRET measurements. We found that the wild-typestrain exhibited an attractant response to widely used polymers such as Ficoll 400, polyethylene glycol (PEG) 20000 and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) 360000, and the response amplitude from chemoreception was much larger than that from the load-dependence of motor switching due to viscosity change. The chemotactic response depended on the type of receptors and the chain length of the polymers. Our findings here provided important new ingredients for further studies of bacterial motile behavior in complex fluids.
Topics: Polymers; Povidone; Viscosity
PubMed: 35545074
DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac6eb1 -
Macromolecular Bioscience May 2016Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in cell signaling pathways, while increased production of ROS may disrupt cellular homeostasis, giving rise to... (Review)
Review
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in cell signaling pathways, while increased production of ROS may disrupt cellular homeostasis, giving rise to oxidative stress and a series of diseases. Utilizing these cell-generated species as triggers for selective tuning polymer structures and properties represents a promising methodology for disease diagnosis and treatment. Recently, significant progress has been made in fabricating biomaterials including nanoparticles and macroscopic networks to interact with this dynamic physiological condition. These ROS-responsive platforms have shown potential in a range of biomedical applications, such as cancer targeted drug delivery systems, cell therapy platforms for inflammation related disease, and so on.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Nanoparticles; Neoplasms; Oxidative Stress; Polymers; Reactive Oxygen Species; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 26891447
DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201500440 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2020Cancer represents one of the most dangerous diseases, with 1.8 million deaths worldwide. Despite remarkable advances in conventional therapies, these treatments are not... (Review)
Review
Cancer represents one of the most dangerous diseases, with 1.8 million deaths worldwide. Despite remarkable advances in conventional therapies, these treatments are not effective to completely eradicate cancer. Nanotechnology offers potential cancer treatment based on formulations of several nanoparticles (NPs). Liposomes and polymeric nanoparticle are the most investigated and effective drug delivery systems (DDS) for cancer treatment. Liposomes represent potential DDS due to their distinct properties, including high-drug entrapment efficacy, biocompatibility, low cost, and scalability. However, their use is restricted by susceptibility to lipid peroxidation, instability, burst release of drugs, and the limited surface modification. Similarly, polymeric nanoparticles show several chemical modifications with polymers, good stability, and controlled release, but their drawbacks for biological applications include limited drug loading, polymer toxicity, and difficulties in scaling up. Therefore, polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes are combined to form polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles (PLHNPs), with the positive attributes of both components such as high biocompatibility and stability, improved drug payload, controlled drug release, longer circulation time, and superior in vivo efficacy. In this review, we have focused on the prominent strategies used to develop tumor targeting PLHNPs and discuss their advantages and unique properties contributing to an ideal DDS.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Lipids; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Nanoparticles; Neoplasms; Polymers
PubMed: 32977707
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25194377 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2018Biomaterials play a very important role in biomedicine and tissue engineering where they directly affect the cellular activities and their microenvironment . Myriad of... (Review)
Review
Biomaterials play a very important role in biomedicine and tissue engineering where they directly affect the cellular activities and their microenvironment . Myriad of techniques have been employed to fabricate a vast number natural, artificial and recombinant polymer s in order to harness these biomaterials in tissue regene ration , drug delivery and various other applications. Despite of tremendous efforts made in this field during last few decades, advanced and new generation biomaterials are still lacking. Protein based biomaterials have emerged as an attractive alternatives due to their intrinsic properties like cell to cell interaction , structural support and cellular communications. Several protein based biomaterials like, collagen , keratin , elastin , silk protein and more recently recombinant protein s are being utilized in a number of biomedical and biotechnological processes. These protein-based biomaterials have enormous capabilities, which can completely revolutionize the biomaterial world. In this review, we address an up-to date review on the novel, protein-based biomaterials used for biomedical field including tissue engineering, medical science, regenerative medicine as well as drug delivery. Further, we have also emphasized the novel fabrication techniques associated with protein-based materials and implication of these biomaterials in the domain of biomedical engineering .
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Drug Delivery Systems; Elastin; Humans; Polymers; Proteins; Recombinant Proteins; Regenerative Medicine; Silk; Tissue Engineering
PubMed: 30357624
DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-0950-2_10