Biological barriers to drug transport prevent successful accumulation of nanotherapeutics specifically at diseased sites, limiting efficacious responses in disease processes ranging from cancer to inflammation. Although substantial research efforts have aimed to incorporate multiple functionalities and moieties within the overall nanoparticle design, many of these strategies fail to adequately address these barriers. Obstacles, such as nonspecific distribution and inadequate accumulation of therapeutics, remain formidable challenges to drug developers. A reimagining of conventional nanoparticles is needed to successfully negotiate these impediments to drug delivery. Site-specific delivery of therapeutics will remain a distant reality unless nanocarrier design takes into account the majority, if not all, of the biological barriers that a particle encounters upon intravenous administration. By successively addressing each of these barriers, innovative design features can be rationally incorporated that will create a new generation of nanotherapeutics, realizing a paradigmatic shift in nanoparticle-based drug delivery.

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Principles of nanoparticle design for overcoming biological barriers to drug delivery

The intrinsic limits of conventional cancer therapies prompted the development and application of various nanotechnologies for more effective and safer cancer treatment, herein referred to as cancer nanomedicine. Considerable technological success has been achieved in this field, but the main obstacles to nanomedicine becoming a new paradigm in cancer therapy stem from the complexities and heterogeneity of tumour biology, an incomplete understanding of nano-bio interactions and the challenges regarding chemistry, manufacturing and controls required for clinical translation and commercialization. This Review highlights the progress, challenges and opportunities in cancer nanomedicine and discusses novel engineering approaches that capitalize on our growing understanding of tumour biology and nano-bio interactions to develop more effective nanotherapeutics for cancer patients.

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Cancer nanomedicine: progress, challenges and opportunities.

Polydopamine and Its Derivative Materials: Synthesis and Promising Applications in Energy, Environmental, and Biomedical Fields

In past two decades poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) has been among the most attractive polymeric candidates used to fabricate devices for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. PLGA is biocompatible and biodegradable, exhibits a wide range of erosion times, has tunable mechanical properties and most importantly, is a FDA approved polymer. In particular, PLGA has been extensively studied for the development of devices for controlled delivery of small molecule drugs, proteins and other macromolecules in commercial use and in research. This manuscript describes the various fabrication techniques for these devices and the factors affecting their degradation and drug release.

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Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) as Biodegradable Controlled Drug Delivery Carrier

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/933162.pdf

Hydrogels in drug delivery: progress and challenges

Techniques regarding killing of a pathogen with one or more ionene compositions having antimicrobial functionality are provided. For example, one or more embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise contacting a Mycobacterium tuberculosis microbe with a chemical compound. The chemical compound can comprise an ionene unit. Also, the ionene unit can comprise a cation distributed along a molecular backbone. The ionene unit can have antimicrobial functionality. The method can further comprise electrostatically disrupting a membrane of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis microbe in response to the contacting.

Chemical compositions with antimicrobial functionality

Water soluble biodegradable polymers were prepared by an organoacid catalyzed ring opening polymerization (ROP) of a cyclic carbonate monomer bearing an active ester side chain. The initial polymer comprising an active ester side chain was treated with an amino-alcohol, which transformed the active ester groups to N-substituted amide groups bearing mono-hydroxy alkyl groups and/or dihydroxy alkyl groups, thereby forming the water soluble polymers. The water- soluble polymers are non-toxic and exhibit stealth properties in buffered serum solution.

Water soluble polycarbonates for medical applications

The present disclosure provides a copolymer comprising monomer units represented by formulas (I) and/or (II) as disclosed and defined herein which are useful in antibacterial and/or antifouling coatings. The present disclosure further provides methods of synthesizing said copolymers.

Antibacterial and/or antifouling polymers

Eight-membered ring cyclic carbonates comprising a ring nitrogen at position 6 (1,3,6-dioxazocan-2-ones) were prepared by reaction of precursor diols with active carbonates. The ring nitrogen is linked to a pendant group Y′ via a methylene linking group. The cyclic carbonates undergo organocatalyzed ring opening polymerization to form an initial polycarbonate comprising a backbone tertiary amine group. Quaternization of the initial polycarbonates forms cationic polycarbonates comprising a positive-charged backbone quaternary nitrogen. The cationic polycarbonates can be potent antimicrobial agents.

1,3,6-dioxazocan-2-ones and antimicrobial cationic polycarbonates therefrom

Eight-membered ring cyclic carbonates having an oxygen or an acylated nitrogen at position 6 were prepared by reaction of precursor diols with ethyl chloroformate. The cyclic carbonates undergo organocatalyzed ring opening polymerization. In one instance, the initial polymer formed comprises a carbonate repeat unit having a Boc-protected nitrogen in the polymer backbone. Deprotecting the nitrogen with acid forms a cationic carbonate repeat unit having a positive charged secondary ammonium nitrogen in the polymer backbone.

Yi Yan Yang

Papers

Chemical compositions with antimicrobial functionality

Water soluble polycarbonates for medical applications

Antibacterial and/or antifouling polymers

1,3,6-dioxazocan-2-ones and antimicrobial cationic polycarbonates therefrom

Cyclic carbonate monomers and ring opened polycarbonates therefrom