Abstract
The safe administration of highly cytotoxic therapeutic or diagnostic agents requires efficient drug delivery systems (DDSs) with a spatiotemporal control over delivery and release. Smart stimuli-responsive DDSs have been developed that are capable of recognizing and responding to physiological changes (external stimuli) and ensure controlled and self-regulated drug delivery. pH-sensitive DDSs (pSDDS) are among the most widely investigated stimuli-responsive DDSs. pSDDS are designed to respond to a specific pH range at the site of therapeutic target and deliver the payload, such as drug molecules and nucleic acid (DNA, RNA, and oligonucleotide). This chapter summarizes the potential polymer-based pSDDS for development of smart nanomedicines. The chapter started with brief an introduction and classification of pH-sensitive DDSs followed by discussion on different synthesis methods and importance of architecture of the polymers for applications as pSDDS. Finally, the recent applications of pSDDS at various levels, such as organ, tissue, and cell, are highlighted.
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