Chapter 12 - Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles as a Promising Tool for Anticancer Therapeutics

Abstract

Conjugated polymers (CPs) like polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene are polymers with backbones composed of alternate single and double bonds leading to delocalized π-electrons. Thus imparting unique electrical and optical properties to these polymers allow them to be used in biosensors. Further, the optical property of these polymers can be fine-tuned by doping and copolymerization. CPs possess excellent near infrared (NIR) absorbing quality and biodegradability. This makes them remarkable photothermal agents that are capable of being used in photothermal and photodynamic therapy, especially since NIR has minimal absorbance by tissue and skin, prevents off-target effects, and leads to deep tissue penetration. Also, these polymers can be used for delivery of cargoes like chemotherapeutic drugs. This showcases tremendous potential of CPs, which could be utilized in cancer therapy as an advanced theranostic platform. Thus the ability of CPs to provide multiple therapeutic effects on the same platform has garnered much attention of the research community with great scope for development as a theranostic platform in the near future. We have discussed the usage of CPs for various cancer therapies like tumor imaging, photodynamic therapy, and drug delivery.