Synthetic cationic polymers drug delivery

Cationic polymers are of particular interest carriers in drug and gene deliveiy because of their ability to promote cellular uptake.This holds also for the delivery of proteins, especially for those that possess an overall anionic charge at pH values above the isoelectric point (p/). These proteins can form soluble, nanosized, polyelectrolyte complexes with natural or synthetic cationic polymers by simply mixing the oppositely charged protein and polymer that self-assemble by electrostatic attraction, as represented in Scheme 14.1. 

Noteable are recent studies on the generation of polymer particles as carriers for controlled drug release [333] and of cationic solid lipid micro-particles as synthetic carriers for the targeted delivery of macromolecules to phagocytic antigen-presenting cells [334]. The industrial interest, although rarely disclosed, is evident from the patents filed in the field (see, e.g., [335, 336]). 

Cationic synthetic polymers such as PEI, PEL and PMA are widely studied for drug and gene delivery systems. ... 

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