Zwitterionic polymers in drug delivery: A review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Novel drug delivery vehicles are essential for improving therapeutic efficacy.
• Existing vehicles often lack ideal properties like biocompatibility, stability, and immune evasion.
• Zwitterionic materials are emerging as promising candidates meeting these requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the progress of zwitterionic polymeric architectures as sustainable drug delivery vehicles.
• To highlight the potential of zwitterionic materials in overcoming limitations of current drug delivery systems.
• To encourage further research and commercialization of zwitterionic drug delivery systems.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of zwitterionic polymers in drug delivery.
• Analysis of various zwitterionic polymer architectures and their applications.
• Discussion of zwitterionic polymer-protein conjugates, nanocarriers, and stimulus-responsive systems.

Main Results:

• Zwitterionic polymers exhibit desirable characteristics including biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and stealth properties.
• Diverse architectures like conjugates, nanoparticles, and hydrogels demonstrate effective drug delivery capabilities.
• Stimulus-responsive zwitterionic polymers offer controlled drug release mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Zwitterionic polymeric architectures represent a highly promising platform for next-generation drug delivery vehicles.
• Their unique properties facilitate enhanced drug efficacy, stability, and targeted delivery.
• Further development is expected to significantly benefit healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.