Star polymer nanomedicine: From orthogonal synthetic chemistry to precision in therapeutic interventions.

Abstract

Asymmetric star polymers have offered a viable platform in developing soft nanoparticles for effective therapeutic interventions in high morbidity rate diseases. Orthogonal chemistry has facilitated the construction of such branched polymeric precursors for imparting an advantageous combination of multi-tasking attributes to nanoformulations. Tailoring the overall compositions of nanocarriers is accomplished through sequential independent reactions during or post branched star polymer build-up. This has enabled dispersity which is essential in designing nanomedicine with pre-determined structure-function relationships for specific applications. It has helped expand the scope of nanomedicine through facile development of carriers for small molecule to macromolecule cargo, and their enhanced efficacy in performing multiple complimentary biological tasks. This review brings into focus the elegance of orthogonal chemistry in synthetic articulation of amphiphilic branched star polymer architectures, which is laying the foundation for precision nanomedicine to address complex biological issues. We discuss advantages of strictly controlled asymmetric branched star polymer structure in biomedical applications, and how orthogonal chemistry and star polymer composition offers opportunities in smart formulation development while expediting their bench-to-bedside translation.

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