Polymeric Antioxidant Materials for Treatment of Inflammatory Disorders

Abstract

AbstractReactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) play a key role in physiological conditions as signaling molecules for regulating homeostasis in the human body. However, abnormally increased RONS levels can damage DNA, protein, and tissue, or even impair cellular signaling. Consequently, when this state is present for a long time, it can lead to severe inflammatory disorders, such as lupus, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. Although antioxidant therapies have been developed for a long time to treat acute or chronic inflammatory diseases, small molecule‐based antioxidants showed relatively low therapeutic effects due to rapid clearance and low stability in the bloodstream. As one of the solutions to overcome such limitations, incorporating polymers would provide enhanced blood stability, bioavailability, and even enhanced therapeutic effects. Herein, diverse polymeric antioxidant materials are introduced that are categorized into simple loading strategies and polymers with inherent antioxidative activity. Further, preclinical and clinical studies of polymeric antioxidant materials for anti‐inflammatory therapy are discussed and a better direction is provided for these to be pursued and improved in anti‐inflammatory therapy.