Carriers, drugs/genes

Amphiphilic block copolymers containing a cationic block may carry as the second block a hydrophilic or a hydrophobic one. Those containing a hydrophilic second block belong to the so called double-hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBC), which have recently been reviewed [60]. This promising class of polymers has potential applications in drug-carrier systems, gene therapy, desalination membranes, as switchable amphiphiles, and others [45, 60, 77]. 

Some of the sugar- and peptide-based vesicles described in the previous chapter have been used for very few applications in the field of life science (as carriers for drug, genes, etc. or as bioreactors) and for the fabrication of organic/inorganic composite materials (encapsulation of inorganic nanoparticles). 

Qiu, L.Y. Bae, Y.H. Self-assembled polyethylenimine-graft-poly(e-caprolactone) micelles as potential dual carriers of genes and anticancer drugs. Biomaterials 2007, 28 (28), 4132—4142. 

Hart, S.L., 2005. Lipid carriers for gene therapy. Curr. Drug Deliv. 2, 423—428. 

The first water-soluble enzyme-containing lipid vesicles were developed by Sessa and Weissmann based on the pioneering work of Bangham on Uposomes. These systems were soon envisioned as drug carriers for gene therapy. 

Concerning the application possibilities, block and graft copolymers micelles and their assemblies as PIC are of great practical importance. Of special interest, as outlined in this review, are amphiphilic copolymers with biocompatible and biodegradable sequences, that have obtained growing attention as controlled drug-delivery systems and as potential carriers in gene therapy. 

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