Reactive Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Species (RONSS)-Responsive Polymersomes for Triggered Drug Release

Abstract

Reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur species (RONSS) are cross-reacting and involved in a myriad of physiological and pathological processes. Similar to acidic pH, overexpressed enzymes, and other specific stimuli found in pathological microenvironments, RONSS are recognized as a category of emerging triggering events and have been employed to design activatable theranostic nanomaterials. In this regard, a plethora of RONSS-responsive nanovectors including polymeric micelles and vesicles (also referred to as polymersomes) are constructed. In comparison with micelles, polymersomes comprising aqueous interiors enclosed by hydrophobic membranes show intriguing applications in synergistic delivery of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, nanoreactors, and artificial organelles. This feature article focuses on the recent developments in the fabrication of RONSS-responsive polymersomes and their potential biomedical applications in terms of triggered drug delivery.

Keywords: drug delivery; polymersomes; stimuli-responsive polymers.