Chapter 7 - Grafted polysaccharides in drug delivery

Abstract

Synthesis, characterization, and macromolecular engineering of efficient drug delivery systems are important fields of research and also of practical importance in medicine and health care. In this sense, a wide variety of biomaterials have been applied for drug delivery purposes over years. Polymers are among biomaterials significantly considered in biomaterial development as drug delivery platforms. Natural polymers due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility have been particularly employed for this purpose. Polysaccharides are the main members of natural polymers, known as macromolecules composed of simple sugars with ever-increasing applications. However, polysaccharide utilization in the form of a virgin in drug delivery systems (DDSs) has been relatively cautious compared to synthetic polyesters because of the lack of interaction with biological media as well as their relatively poor mechanical properties. Therefore, functionalization of polysaccharides based on the knowledge of polymer chemistry, such as copolymerization with monomers of the same or different family, has been recognized as a promising strategy to boost their properties for advanced applications as DDS. Grafted polysaccharides and grafting polysaccharides have recently emerged as a promising strategy for designing efficient drug delivery platforms. Grafting has been widely considered for incorporating polysaccharides with other types of polymers and porous materials to make stimuli-responsive and targeted delivery systems for the treatment of various diseases, especially in cancer treatment. An overview of recent grafted polysaccharide-based DDSs has been presented in this chapter. The advantages and drawbacks of using grafted polysaccharides together with molecules used as grafting agents are the subjects the present chapter covers.