Abstract
Hydrogel nanoparticles—also referred to as polymeric nanogels or macromolecular micelles—are emerging as promising drug carriers for therapeutic applications. These nanostructures hold versatility and properties suitable for the delivery of bioactive molecules, namely of biopharmaceuticals. This article reviews the latest developments in the use of self-assembled polymeric nanogels for drug delivery applications, including small molecular weight drugs, proteins, peptides, oligosaccharides, vaccines and nucleic acids. The materials and techniques used in the development of self-assembling nanogels are also described.
Highlights
Nanotechnology is the source of exciting progresses in the drug delivery field, offering suitable means for site-specific and time-controlled delivery of small molecular weight drugs, proteins, peptides, oligosaccharides, vaccines and nucleic acids [1−5]
Several types of nanoparticles have been tested as potential drug delivery systems, including hydrogel nanoparticles, dendrimers [6], nanospheres [7], nanocapsules and liposomes [8]
A convenient strategy consists on linking hydrophobic grafts to e.g., a highly water-soluble polysaccharide, inducing the formation of nanoparticles via hydrophobic interactions. This kind of amphiphilic polymers can be constructed by three routes: hydrophobic chains grafted to a hydrophilic backbone, hydrophilic chains grafted to a hydrophobic backbone or with alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments
Summary
Nanotechnology is the source of exciting progresses in the drug delivery field, offering suitable means for site-specific and time-controlled delivery of small molecular weight drugs, proteins, peptides, oligosaccharides, vaccines and nucleic acids [1−5]. Drug delivery systems are formulations that modify the drug release profile and the ability to cross. This review highlights the use of self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles for drug delivery applications. Hydrogels are polymeric networks with three-dimensional configuration that absorb large quantities of water or biological fluids. Hydrogels can be formulated as macroscopic networks, or confined to smaller dimensions When their size is in the submicron range, they are known as nanogels [9]. Hydrogel nanoparticles, have gained considerable attention as one of the most promising nanoparticulate drug delivery systems, owing to their unique properties that combine the characteristics of hydrogel systems (e.g., rather high water content) with a very small size (nanosize). This review paper is focused on the self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles for biomedical applications, drug delivery. The main properties of nanoparticles, the method and materials for their production, and the main applications will be reviewed
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