Abstract
Oppositely charged polyions can self-assemble in solution to form colloidal polyion complex (PIC) particles. Such nanomaterials can be loaded with charged therapeutics such as DNA, drugs or probes for application as novel nanomedicines and chemical sensors to detect disease markers. A comprehensive discussion of the factors affecting PIC particle self-assembly and their response to physical and chemical stimuli in solution is described herein. Finally, a collection of key examples of polyionic nanoparticles for biomedical applications is discussed to illustrate their behaviour and demonstrate the potential of PIC nanoparticles in medicine.
Highlights
Macromolecules carrying multiple charges (a.k.a. polyelectrolytes) are ubiquitous in nature and include nucleic acids, proteins or polysaccharides
A good example of this pH-responsive behaviour of polyion complexes was reported by Han et al, where the authors studied a system comprised of a strong poly(allylamine) (PAH) and weak poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolytes at different pHs (Fig. 4) [48]
This review gives an overview of the preparation and biomedical applications of polyionic complexes (PIC) particles
Summary
Macromolecules carrying multiple charges (a.k.a. polyelectrolytes) are ubiquitous in nature and include nucleic acids, proteins or polysaccharides. The presence of these charges often dictates the physical properties of these biopolymers, including their self-assembly or their solubility in physiological environments. In this review we will focus on the preparation and biomedical applications of PIC particles, formed by the neutralisation of non-stoichiometric mixtures of polyelectrolytes. Other morphologies and their biomedical applications have been extensively reviewed elsewhere and interested readers are encouraged to read that literature [12,13,14,15,16,17]
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