3 August 2011 | Mark A. Ward * and Theoni K. Georgiou
Thermoresponsive polymers are "smart" materials that respond to temperature changes, making them useful in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, gene delivery, and tissue engineering. This review summarizes studies from the last 10 years on the synthesis and use of thermoresponsive polymers in these areas. The main applications are categorized based on the 3D structure of the polymers, including hydrogels, interpenetrating networks, micelles, crosslinked micelles, polymersomes, films, and particles.
Thermoresponsive polymers change their properties in response to temperature, with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and upper critical solution temperature (UCST) being key characteristics. Polymers with an LCST close to body temperature, such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), are particularly useful for biomedical applications. These polymers can be used to control drug release, enhance gene delivery efficiency, and support tissue engineering by providing a scaffold for cell growth.
In drug delivery, thermoresponsive polymers can be used to control the release of drugs at body temperature, ensuring that the drug is delivered in the right amount and at the right time. In gene delivery, thermoresponsive polymers can enhance transfection efficiency by changing temperature during complexation or incubation. In tissue engineering, thermoresponsive polymers can be used as substrates for cell growth or as injectable gels for in situ scaffold formation.
Various types of thermoresponsive polymers have been studied for their applications in biomedical fields. These include hydrogels, which can swell or shrink in response to temperature, micelles, which can encapsulate drugs and release them in response to temperature, and polymersomes, which can encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules. Films and particles have also been used for controlled drug release and cell culture.
Overall, thermoresponsive polymers have shown great potential in biomedical applications due to their ability to respond to temperature changes. Their use in drug delivery, gene delivery, and tissue engineering is promising, and further research is needed to fully explore their capabilities.Thermoresponsive polymers are "smart" materials that respond to temperature changes, making them useful in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, gene delivery, and tissue engineering. This review summarizes studies from the last 10 years on the synthesis and use of thermoresponsive polymers in these areas. The main applications are categorized based on the 3D structure of the polymers, including hydrogels, interpenetrating networks, micelles, crosslinked micelles, polymersomes, films, and particles.
Thermoresponsive polymers change their properties in response to temperature, with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and upper critical solution temperature (UCST) being key characteristics. Polymers with an LCST close to body temperature, such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), are particularly useful for biomedical applications. These polymers can be used to control drug release, enhance gene delivery efficiency, and support tissue engineering by providing a scaffold for cell growth.
In drug delivery, thermoresponsive polymers can be used to control the release of drugs at body temperature, ensuring that the drug is delivered in the right amount and at the right time. In gene delivery, thermoresponsive polymers can enhance transfection efficiency by changing temperature during complexation or incubation. In tissue engineering, thermoresponsive polymers can be used as substrates for cell growth or as injectable gels for in situ scaffold formation.
Various types of thermoresponsive polymers have been studied for their applications in biomedical fields. These include hydrogels, which can swell or shrink in response to temperature, micelles, which can encapsulate drugs and release them in response to temperature, and polymersomes, which can encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules. Films and particles have also been used for controlled drug release and cell culture.
Overall, thermoresponsive polymers have shown great potential in biomedical applications due to their ability to respond to temperature changes. Their use in drug delivery, gene delivery, and tissue engineering is promising, and further research is needed to fully explore their capabilities.