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International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Due to their biocompatibility and non-toxic nature, biomedical polymer materials have found widespread applications and significantly propelled the progress of the...
Due to their biocompatibility and non-toxic nature, biomedical polymer materials have found widespread applications and significantly propelled the progress of the biomedical field [...].
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Polymers; Humans
PubMed: 38791127
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105088 -
Molecular Pharmaceutics Aug 2021In the pharmaceutical industry, poorly water-soluble drugs require enabling technologies to increase apparent solubility in the biological environment. Amorphous solid... (Review)
Review
In the pharmaceutical industry, poorly water-soluble drugs require enabling technologies to increase apparent solubility in the biological environment. Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) has emerged as an attractive strategy that has been used to market more than 20 oral pharmaceutical products. The amorphous form is inherently unstable and exhibits phase separation and crystallization during shelf life storage. Polymers stabilize the amorphous drug by antiplasticization, reducing molecular mobility, reducing chemical potential of drug, and increasing glass transition temperature in ASD. Here, drug-polymer miscibility is an important contributor to the physical stability of ASDs. The current Review discusses the basics of drug-polymer interactions with the major focus on the methods for the evaluation of solubility and miscibility of the drug in the polymer. Methods for the evaluation of drug-polymer solubility and miscibility have been classified as thermal, spectroscopic, microscopic, solid-liquid equilibrium-based, rheological, and computational methods. Thermal methods have been commonly used to determine the solubility of the drug in the polymer, while other methods provide qualitative information about drug-polymer miscibility. Despite advancements, the majority of these methods are still inadequate to provide the value of drug-polymer miscibility at room temperature. There is still a need for methods that can accurately determine drug-polymer miscibility at pharmaceutically relevant temperatures.
Topics: Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Crystallization; Drug Compounding; Drug Stability; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Polymers; Solubility; Transition Temperature
PubMed: 34041914
DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.1c00141 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2020BioPolymers could be either natural polymers (polymer naturally occurring in Nature, such as cellulose or starch…), or biobased polymers that are artificially...
BioPolymers could be either natural polymers (polymer naturally occurring in Nature, such as cellulose or starch…), or biobased polymers that are artificially synthesized from natural resources [...].
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Biopolymers; Humans; Plants; Polymers
PubMed: 33383720
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26010112 -
The Science of the Total Environment Sep 2023Research on the environmental biodegradation or microbial biodegradation of polymers has substantially increased recently due to growing demand for biodegradable... (Review)
Review
Research on the environmental biodegradation or microbial biodegradation of polymers has substantially increased recently due to growing demand for biodegradable polymers for certain applications. Environmental biodegradation of a polymer depends on the intrinsic biodegradability of the polymer and the characteristics of the receiving environment. The intrinsic biodegradability of a polymer is determined by the chemical structure and resulting physical properties (e.g., glass transition temperature, melting temperature, modulus of elasticity, crystallinity, and crystal structure) of the polymer. Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) on biodegradability have been well-established for discrete (non-polymeric) organic chemicals, but not for polymers due to the absence of adequate biodegradability data based on consistent and standardized biodegradation tests with appropriate characterization and reporting of the polymers tested. This review summarizes empirical structure-activity relationships (SARs) for biodegradability of polymers in laboratory studies involving various environmental matrices. In general, polyolefins with carbon-carbon chain are not biodegradable, while polymers containing labile bonds such as ester, ether, amide, or glycosidic bonds in their polymer chain may be favorable for biodegradation. Under a univariate scenario, polymers with higher molecular weight, higher crosslinking, lower water solubility, higher degree of substitution (i.e., higher average number of substituted functional groups per monomer unit), and higher crystallinity may result in reduced biodegradability. This review paper also highlights some of the challenges that hamper QSAR development for polymer biodegradability, stresses the need for better characterization of polymer structures used in biodegradation studies, and emphasizes the necessity for consistent testing conditions for the ease of cross-comparison and quantitative modeling analysis during future QSAR development.
Topics: Polymers; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; Organic Chemicals; Carbon; Biodegradation, Environmental
PubMed: 37211122
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164338 -
International Journal of Biological... Sep 2019Metal based nanocomposites are gaining popularity for the past few years due to their promising chemical and physical properties. These nanocomposites can be obtained by... (Review)
Review
Metal based nanocomposites are gaining popularity for the past few years due to their promising chemical and physical properties. These nanocomposites can be obtained by incorporation of metal nanoparticles with glass, ceramic and polymer. Metal polymer nanoparticles can be formed through direct reduction method, in situ methods like chemical reduction, photoreduction and thermal decomposition of metallic salt inside the polymer, ex-situ by direct insertion of metallic nanoparticles into the polymer, through vapor phase deposition techniques and ion implantation. Natural polymers such as cellulose, starch, chitin, chitosan, gelatin, dextran, alginate, pectin, guar gum, rubber and fibrin are preferred than the synthetic ones due to their amazing properties including maximized purity and crystallinity, tensile solidity, improved elasticity and extensive surface area. In our review, we spotlight the fabrication methods and the innovative applications of many natural polymers metal nanocomposites, as well as their antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biological Products; Metal Nanoparticles; Nanocomposites; Polymers
PubMed: 31220496
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.06.114 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2020Polymers in which phosphorus is an integral part of the main chain, including polyphosphazenes and polyphosphoesters, have been widely investigated in recent years for... (Review)
Review
Polymers in which phosphorus is an integral part of the main chain, including polyphosphazenes and polyphosphoesters, have been widely investigated in recent years for their potential in a number of therapeutic applications. Phosphorus, as the central feature of these polymers, endears the chemical functionalization, and in some cases (bio)degradability, to facilitate their use in such therapeutic formulations. Recent advances in the synthetic polymer chemistry have allowed for controlled synthesis methods in order to prepare the complex macromolecular structures required, alongside the control and reproducibility desired for such medical applications. While the main polymer families described herein, polyphosphazenes and polyphosphoesters and their analogues, as well as phosphorus-based dendrimers, have hitherto predominantly been investigated in isolation from one another, this review aims to highlight and bring together some of this research. In doing so, the focus is placed on the essential, and often mutual, design features and structure-property relationships that allow the preparation of such functional materials. The first part of the review details the relevant features of phosphorus-containing polymers in respect to their use in therapeutic applications, while the second part highlights some recent and innovative applications, offering insights into the most state-of-the-art research on phosphorus-based polymers in a therapeutic context.
Topics: Hydrolysis; Macromolecular Substances; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Phosphorus; Polymerization; Polymers
PubMed: 32276516
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25071716 -
International Journal of Radiation... 2022Toxicity to normal tissue is frequently the dose-limiting factor in the chemotherapy and mixed modality treatments of cancer. If the radio-enhancing drug could be...
OBJECTIVE
Toxicity to normal tissue is frequently the dose-limiting factor in the chemotherapy and mixed modality treatments of cancer. If the radio-enhancing drug could be localized at the disease site and released slowly over time, then systemic drug toxicities could be decreased while simultaneously maintaining high drug concentrations in the tumor. These considerations support a role for a sustained release intra-tumoral delivery systems for the delivery of radio-enhancing drugs.
METHODS
Two approaches aimed at achieving the end of localizing the radio-enhancing drug to the tumor are described. First, nanoparticles, which have a prolonged circulation time and facility for enhanced tumor targeting. Structural defects in the walls of the tumor vasculature allow the passage of particles too large to pass through the walls of normal blood vessels. This characteristic of tumor blood vessels, referred to as the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, allows relatively large entities (typically liposomes, nanoparticles, and macromolecular drugs) to pass from the blood vessels to tumor tissue and as a result nanoparticles accumulate in the tumor while being excluded from normal tissue. Second, biodegradable implanted polymers. In these devices, the radio-enhancing drug is physically trapped within the polymer matrix which is implanted in the tumor. The drug is released as the polymer degrades in response to its local environment. The degradation rate of the polymer device can be adjusted to control the rate of drug release. By this means, the level of radio-enhancing drug can be maintained at the tumor site for the duration of radiation treatment.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Results of experiments indicate that for both methods tumor control could be optimized by maintaining the radio-enhancing drug at a useful concentration in the tumor over a period of time compatible with the duration of fractionated radiation treatment. These studies have provided proof of principle support for the further development of this approach. To date, while some of the methods and devices for drug delivery described in this paper have been involved in clinical trials, none have so far been developed for routine clinical application.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Nanoparticles; Neoplasms; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Polymers
PubMed: 34747680
DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.2003465 -
Journal of the American Chemical Society May 2022Synthetic methods that edit soft polymer backbones are critical technologies for tailoring the structures and properties of macromolecules. Developing strategies that...
Synthetic methods that edit soft polymer backbones are critical technologies for tailoring the structures and properties of macromolecules. Developing strategies that leverage underexplored reaction manifolds are vital for accessing new chemical (and functional) space in soft materials. Here, we report a mild electrochemical approach that enables both degradation and functionalization of synthetic polymers. We found that bulk electrolysis (under either homogeneous or heterogeneous conditions) promoted facile, chemoselective chain scission in a variety of olefin-containing materials. Polymer degradation could also be coupled with functionalization (e.g., azidation) to afford new species that could serve as macromonomers.
Topics: Alkenes; Polymers
PubMed: 35576583
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c02098 -
Analytica Chimica Acta May 2022As a result of their favorable physical and chemical characteristics, thermoplastics have garnered significant interest in the area of microfluidics. The moldable nature... (Review)
Review
As a result of their favorable physical and chemical characteristics, thermoplastics have garnered significant interest in the area of microfluidics. The moldable nature of these inexpensive polymers enables easy fabrication, while their durability and chemical stability allow for resistance to high shear stress conditions and functionalization, respectively. This review provides a comprehensive examination several commonly used thermoplastic polymers in the microfluidics space including poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), cyclic olefin polymer (COP) and copolymer (COC), polycarbonates (PC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polyester. We describe various biofunctionalization strategies applied within thermoplastic microfluidic platforms and their resultant applications. Lastly, emerging technologies with a focus on applying recently developed microfluidic and biofunctionalization strategies into thermoplastic systems are discussed.
Topics: Microfluidics; Plastics; Polyethylene Terephthalates; Polymers; Polymethyl Methacrylate; Polystyrenes
PubMed: 35569863
DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.339283 -
Chembiochem : a European Journal of... Feb 2023Combining polymers with functional proteins is an approach that has brought several successful stories in the field of biomedicine with PEGylated therapeutic proteins.... (Review)
Review
Combining polymers with functional proteins is an approach that has brought several successful stories in the field of biomedicine with PEGylated therapeutic proteins. The latest advances in polymer chemistry have facilitated the expansion of protein-polymer hybrids to other research areas such as biocatalysis. Polymers can impart stability and novel functionalities to the enzyme of interest, thereby improving the catalytic performance of a given reaction. In this review, we have revisited the main methodologies currently used for the synthesis of enzyme-polymer hybrids, unveiling the interplay between the configuration and the composition of the assembled structure and the eventual traits of the hybrid. Finally, the latest advances, such as the assembly of polymer-based chemoenzymatic nanoreactors and the use of deep learning methodologies to achieve the most suitable polymer compositions for catalysis, are discussed.
Topics: Polymers; Biocatalysis; Proteins; Catalysis
PubMed: 36507915
DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200611