Abstract

SMART POLYMERS: INNOVATIVE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Priya Patel*, Vaishali Koyani

ABSTRACT

Smart polymers are attracting the researchers for development of novel drug delivery systems. Stimuli-responsive polymers are of both fundamental and commercial interest.Polymer scientists have been trying to mimic this behaviour for the last twenty years creating the so called smart polymers. Smart polymeric materials respond with a considerable change in their properties to small changes in their environment. Environmental stimuli include salt, UVirradiation, temperature, pH or concentration, chemicals, light, magnetic or electric field, ionic factors, biological molecules, solvent exchange etc. This behaviour can be utilised for the preparation of so-called ‘smart’ drug delivery systems, which mimic biological response behaviour to a certain, extent. Interest in stimuli-responsive polymers is steadily gaining increasing momentum especially in the fields of controlled as well as self-regulated drug delivery system.They may become one important class of polymers and their applications have been increasing significantly in the last three decades. Now a days Smart polymers having very promising applications in the biomedical field as delivery systems of therapeutic agents, tissue engineering scaffolds, cell culture supports, bioseparation devices, etc. The versatility and untapped potential of smart polymeric materials makes them one of the most promising interfaces of chemistry and biology.

Keywords: Smart polymers, Controlled release drug delivery, Gene carrier.