5
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
T. J. Gutiérrez (ed.), Reactive and Functional Polymers Volume One,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43403-8_2
Chapter 2
Biodegradable and Functional Synthetic
Polymers in Nanomedicine: Controlled
and Targeted Bioactive Molecule Release
Xiaoming Guo, Leung Chan, and Tianfeng Chen
Abstract In recent decades, there is a sustained interest in the development of drug
delivery systems based on bioactive and functional polymers such as poly(propylene
glycol) (PEG), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(lactide acid) (PLA), poly(lactic-coglycolic acid) (PLGA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(trimethylene carbonate)
(PTMC) and poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has approved these polymers for biomedical applications due to their excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility and non-toxicity. The poly-hydroxy and
-carboxy characteristics not only give them a supramolecular structure for drug
loading, but also to incorporate drugs into the structure through chemical interactions. This chapter aims to present the molecular and physiochemical bases for the
application of PEG and PLGA for functional delivery and controlled and targeted
release of bioactive compounds.
Keywords Bioactive delivery · Biodegradable polymers · Poly(lactic-co-glycolic
acid) (PLGA) · Poly(propylene glycol) (PEG) · Polymeric carriers
2.1 Introduction
Synthetic chemicals and natural bioactive compounds are of critical importance in
nanomedicine and health care (Zarrintaj et al. 2019). However, many promising
therapeutic compounds have low water solubility, rapid clearance and diverse side
effects, which greatly hinders their bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy
(Lukyanov and Torchilin 2004; Tyrrell et al. 2010). One solution to address these
problems is to load these drugs into nanoscopic carriers (Mura et al. 2013; Bobo
X. Guo · L. Chan · T. Chen (*)
Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
e-mail: tchentf@jnu.edu.cn
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
T. J. Gutiérrez (ed.), Reactive and Functional Polymers Volume One,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43403-8_2
Chapter 2
Biodegradable and Functional Synthetic
Polymers in Nanomedicine: Controlled
and Targeted Bioactive Molecule Release
Xiaoming Guo, Leung Chan, and Tianfeng Chen
Abstract In recent decades, there is a sustained interest in the development of drug
delivery systems based on bioactive and functional polymers such as poly(propylene
glycol) (PEG), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(lactide acid) (PLA), poly(lactic-coglycolic acid) (PLGA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(trimethylene carbonate)
(PTMC) and poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has approved these polymers for biomedical applications due to their excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility and non-toxicity. The poly-hydroxy and
-carboxy characteristics not only give them a supramolecular structure for drug
loading, but also to incorporate drugs into the structure through chemical interactions. This chapter aims to present the molecular and physiochemical bases for the
application of PEG and PLGA for functional delivery and controlled and targeted
release of bioactive compounds.
Keywords Bioactive delivery · Biodegradable polymers · Poly(lactic-co-glycolic
acid) (PLGA) · Poly(propylene glycol) (PEG) · Polymeric carriers
2.1 Introduction
Synthetic chemicals and natural bioactive compounds are of critical importance in
nanomedicine and health care (Zarrintaj et al. 2019). However, many promising
therapeutic compounds have low water solubility, rapid clearance and diverse side
effects, which greatly hinders their bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy
(Lukyanov and Torchilin 2004; Tyrrell et al. 2010). One solution to address these
problems is to load these drugs into nanoscopic carriers (Mura et al. 2013; Bobo
X. Guo · L. Chan · T. Chen (*)
Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
e-mail: tchentf@jnu.edu.cn