1 - Redox- and pH-responsive polymeric nanocarriers

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive polymer nanomaterials have attracted more and more interest in controlled drug delivery systems, especially for cancer treatment to decrease adverse side effects and improve therapeutic efficacy of the drugs. It is easy to design redox and pH dual-responsive polymeric nanocarriers through various polymerization methods for controlled anticancer drug delivery, owing to the differences between the normal tissues and cancer tissues, namely reductant level and acidity. In this chapter, the recent progress in the preparation and application of redox and pH dual-responsive polymeric nanocarriers as well as polymer nanoprodrugs for controlled anticancer drug delivery is reviewed, such as polymer micelles [including core-cross-linked (CCL) micelles and shell-cross-linked micelles] and polymer nanoparticles (including core-shell nanoparticles, yolk-shell nanoparticles, and nanocapsules), with the emphasis on the structure-function relationship.