Micelas poliméricas para encapsulación, vectorización y cesión de fármacos

Abstract

Last years have witnessed a remarkable intensification of research on development of dosage forms aimed to improve efficacy/safety profile of both already marketed drugs and new chemical entities. In this chapter the suitability of polymeric micelles for the formu- lation of drugs showing poor solubility in water, low permeability, limited stability and high toxicity is discussed. Commonly used block copolymers and methods of preparation and characterization of polymeric micelles are described, highlighting their main advan- tages and disadvantages from the point of view of their performance in the encapsulation of drugs to be administered by various routes and as nanocarriers for passive and active targeting. Last sections focus on recent applications of polymeric micelles that are sensitive to stimuli, such as changes in pH, temperature or redox potential or the application of light or ultrasound, for selectively drug release into specific tissues or cells. All these properties along with the abil- ity some block copolymers to inhibit efflux pumps make polymeric micelles particularly attractive for treatment of cancer and other diseases that require the drug to achieve effective concentrations in hardly accessible structures. Keywords: