Micelleplexes: A promising nanocarrier for the transport of genetic material and drugs

Abstract

Increasingly, nanotechnology and genetics have become “key allies” in the development of promising therapies in order to fill or improve therapeutics. Nanocarriers thus emerge, such as micelleplexes, which are a great example of the synergistic work between pharmaceutical nanotechnology and genetics. Micelleplexes have the ability, in aqueous medium, to self-assemble into a micellar structure, and they are composed of amphiphilic copolymers, linked to a cationic polymer, such as polyethyleneimine (PEI), which allows the complexation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA) and a drug. There are several advantages of using these nanosystems. They have the capability to protect genetic material against nuclease activity and have a small size avoiding the recognition by the reticuloendothelial system organs. Therefore, this chapter intends to review the essential aspects of the micelleplexes, together with the common methods used to prepare these nanosystems. Additionally, this work also analyzes the importance of the physicochemical characteristics in the development of an efficient nanosystem and the healing applications which are discovered by using these nanocomplexes against cancer.