Polymer-drug conjugates as modulators of cellular apoptosis

Abstract

The successful clinical application of polymer-protein conjugates (PEGylated enzymes and cytokines) and the promising results arising from clinical trials with polymerbound chemotherapy (eg, doxorubicin or paclitaxel) have established their potential to reduce toxicity and improve activity in chemotherapy-refractory patients. Furthermore, and more important, they have also provided a firm foundation for more sophisticated second-generation constructs that deliver the newly emerging target-directed bioactive agents (eg, modulators of apoptosis, cell cycle, anti-angiogenic drugs) in addition to polymer-based drug combinations (eg, endocrine therapy and chemotherapy). This review will focus on polymer-drug conjugate modulators of cellular apoptosis to be used as single pro-apoptotic (eg, cancer) or anti-apoptotic (eg, ischemia) agents or as a combination therapy.