Chapter 15 - Amphiphilic block copolymer: a smart option for bioactives delivery

Abstract

There have been several advances in polymer chemistry but one that has particularly caught attention of researchers is amphiphilic block copolymers. The amphiphilic block copolymers are explored for formulating nanostructures of varying lengths and shapes such as micelles, vesicles, nanogels, polymerosomes, and even stimuli-responsive systems. The greatest advantage that amphiphilic block copolymers offer is the design flexibility that helps in altering their size, shape, stability, and even some physicochemical properties while also imparting targeting characteristics which are highly useful especially in cancer therapeutics. Vast numbers of anticancer drugs have been investigated in recent studies. Hydrophobic drugs have been successfully incorporated in nanoformulations using amphiphilic block copolymers. In spite of efficacy and therapeutic potential of amphiphilic block copolymers their performance in drug delivery applications has not reached its full potential yet. This chapter intends to discuss those applications in the form of novel systems where amphiphilic block copolymers can be most helpful and also intends to highlight the most recent research work that has been carried out in the field of drug delivery. This chapter provides in general picture of the latest research work to create potential ideas for further development in the research.