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Review
. 2019 Oct 11:7:259.
doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00259. eCollection 2019.

A Perspective on Polylactic Acid-Based Polymers Use for Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications

Tommaso Casalini  1 , Filippo Rossi  2 , Andrea Castrovinci  1 , Giuseppe Perale  1   3
Affiliations
Review

A Perspective on Polylactic Acid-Based Polymers Use for Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications

Tommaso Casalini et al. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Polylactic acid (PLA)-based polymers are ubiquitous in the biomedical field thanks to their combination of attractive peculiarities: biocompatibility (degradation products do not elicit critical responses and are easily metabolized by the body), hydrolytic degradation in situ, tailorable properties, and well-established processing technologies. This led to the development of several applications, such as bone fixation screws, bioresorbable suture threads, and stent coating, just to name a few. Nanomedicine could not be unconcerned by PLA-based materials as well, where their use for the synthesis of nanocarriers for the targeted delivery of hydrophobic drugs emerged as a new promising application. The purpose of the here presented review is two-fold: on one side, it aims at providing a broad overview of PLA-based materials and their properties, which allow them gaining a leading role in the biomedical field; on the other side, it offers a specific focus on their recent use in nanomedicine, highlighting opportunities and perspectives.

Keywords: degradation; nanomedicine; nanoparticles; polylactic acid; processing.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Enantiomeric forms of lactic acid.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cyclic dimers for ROP process.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main PLA production routes.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic of degradation mechanisms.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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