Adv Polym Sci (2013) 261: 249–262
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_271
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Bridging Polymer Science and Medicine
Through Supramolecular Nanoassemblies
Horacio Cabral and Kazunori Kataoka
Abstract Boundaries between synthetic polymers and biology are disappearing as
an increasing number of manmade macromolecular constructs take a central role in
biological processes. The research in this area has been continuously growing since
the structure of polymers was proposed by Hermann Staudinger, with landmark
findings in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Polymeric systems in the biological
interface have evolved from linear bioactive polymers into self-assembled
nanostructures with compartmentalized architectures that perform versatile complex processes within specific cellular locations. Due to their supramolecular
nature, it is possible to integrate the structural and functional information of these
nanoassemblies just by engineering the starting macromolecules. These assemblies
have demonstrated high clinical potential for efficient site-specific sensing, transport, and modulation of bioactive molecules by taking advantage of their controlled
interaction with physiological environments.
Keywords Block copolymers Á Polymer-drug conjugates Á Polymeric micelles Á
Polymeric vesicles
H. Cabral
Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
K. Kataoka (*)
Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine,
The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
e-mail: kataoka@bmw.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_271
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Bridging Polymer Science and Medicine
Through Supramolecular Nanoassemblies
Horacio Cabral and Kazunori Kataoka
Abstract Boundaries between synthetic polymers and biology are disappearing as
an increasing number of manmade macromolecular constructs take a central role in
biological processes. The research in this area has been continuously growing since
the structure of polymers was proposed by Hermann Staudinger, with landmark
findings in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Polymeric systems in the biological
interface have evolved from linear bioactive polymers into self-assembled
nanostructures with compartmentalized architectures that perform versatile complex processes within specific cellular locations. Due to their supramolecular
nature, it is possible to integrate the structural and functional information of these
nanoassemblies just by engineering the starting macromolecules. These assemblies
have demonstrated high clinical potential for efficient site-specific sensing, transport, and modulation of bioactive molecules by taking advantage of their controlled
interaction with physiological environments.
Keywords Block copolymers Á Polymer-drug conjugates Á Polymeric micelles Á
Polymeric vesicles
H. Cabral
Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
K. Kataoka (*)
Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine,
The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
e-mail: kataoka@bmw.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp