Drug Carrier Systems Based on Cyclodextrin Supramolecular Assemblies and Polymers: Present and Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides with established pharmaceutical applications, primarily for solubilizing and encapsulating hydrophobic molecules via inclusion complexes.
• There is growing interest in advanced, organized macrostructures built from CDs for sophisticated drug delivery and gene carrier systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent developments in cyclodextrin-based macrostructures for pharmaceutical applications.
• To explore drug delivery systems that go "beyond the cyclodextrin" by utilizing self-assembly, polyrotaxanes, and covalent linkages.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature focusing on self-assembled monomeric modified CDs (amphiphilic, star polymers).
• Analysis of polyrotaxanes (CDs threaded onto polymer chains) for drug delivery.
• Examination of covalently linked CDs (grafted, crosslinked) and complex CD-based networks/chains.

Main Results:

• Monomeric modified CDs self-assemble into effective drug carriers.
• Polyrotaxanes demonstrate potential in pharmaceutical applications.
• Covalently linked CDs and complex networks offer advanced drug delivery capabilities.

Conclusions:

• Cyclodextrin-based macrostructures represent a significant advancement in drug delivery beyond simple inclusion complexes.
• These organized structures, including self-assembled, polyrotaxane, and covalently linked systems, offer versatile platforms for future pharmaceutical innovations.