Issue 20, 2014

Synthesis and biomedical applications of functional poly(α-hydroxyl acid)s

Abstract

Poly(α-hydroxyl acid)s (PAHAs) are an important class of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers. However, biomedical applications of conventional PAHAs have been restricted by the lack of functional groups. Therefore, recently there have been significant research activities to design and synthesize functional PAHAs, and subsequently investigate their applications in biomedical areas. In this review, we present an overview on synthesis and biomedical applications of functional PAHAs. The synthetic approaches to incorporate functionalities with PAHAs as pendent groups are addressed. Applications of these functional PAHAs in drug delivery, gene delivery, co-delivery of drugs and genes, and functionalization with biomolecules are highlighted.

Graphical abstract: Synthesis and biomedical applications of functional poly(α-hydroxyl acid)s

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
12 May 2014
Accepted
07 Jul 2014
First published
10 Jul 2014

Polym. Chem., 2014,5, 5854-5872

Author version available

Synthesis and biomedical applications of functional poly(α-hydroxyl acid)s

Y. Yu, J. Zou and C. Cheng, Polym. Chem., 2014, 5, 5854 DOI: 10.1039/C4PY00667D

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