Chapter 13 - Nanoengineering of Soft Polymer Particles for Exploring Bio-Nano Interactions

Abstract

The physicochemical properties of therapeutic particles, including size, shape, surface chemistry, stability, and biodegradability, have been widely investigated in relation to how they influence their biological behaviors and improve the efficacy for therapeutic delivery. Recent reports have indicated that stiffness is a key parameter for governing bio-nano interactions. However, stiffness is an easily overlooked parameter, due to the difficulty in tuning the stiffness of many particles (e.g., inorganic particles), and the challenge of stiffness characterization. The flexibility of fabrication techniques and their precise control over polymer particles has facilitated their application in cancer theranostics. Soft polymer particles have shown significant advantages in overcoming biological barriers and increasing drug delivery efficacy. This chapter will focus on (i) characterization methods for investigating the stiffness of polymer particles, (ii) strategies for the fabrication of soft polymer particles, and (iii) advances in the biological behavior of soft polymer particles. The engineering of soft polymer particles with tunable stiffness will revolutionize our understanding of their bio-nano interactions, which is vital to providing key steps for developing the next generation of cancer theranostics that minimize side-effects while maximizing therapeutic efficacy.