Preparation and application of a polymer with pH/temperature-responsive targeting

Abstract

Targeted drug carrier systems not only prolong the long-term circulation of drugs, but also improve their bioavailability. To obtain a pH/temperature synergistically responsive polymer carrier, temperature and pH-sensitive groups were chemically grafted onto a cassava starch backbone. Secondly, the structure of the polymer micelle carrier was characterized, and finally the drug loading performance and capacity of the drug carrier were explored. It was observed that cumulative drug release was low when the temperature and pH values met one of two conditions. Only at a high temperature and low pH (T = 38 °C, pH = 5.5, as in tumor tissue) did cumulative drug release reach its maximum value. The design of the polymer carrier described in the present study represents a novel paradigm in precision release drug carriers.

Keywords: Drug carrier; Micelles; Polymer.