Advancements in Polymer Science: ‘Smart’ Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Cancer

Abstract

The therapeutic potential of polymeric nanoparticles has garnered attention due to the multiple applications for which this technology can be used. This is particularly important for cancer as many of the cytotoxic drugs that are used to treat patients have negative side effects on healthy cells. Polymeric nanoparticle technology can reduce these negative side effects as they can be engineered to respond to the unique external environment surrounding tumors (i.e. an acidic environment and pH response) or they can target specific receptors such as folate, found exclusively on cancer cells and release their payload directly. This review will discuss the current applications of polymer nanoparticles in nanomedicine as a whole, with a focus on the development of polymeric nanoparticles and their applications as targeted drug delivery vehicles