Self-assembled polymeric vesicles: Focus on polymersomes in cancer treatment

Abstract

The progress in advanced materials using nanoscale components can be conducted by an innovative idea involving combining nanotechnology approaches with supramolecular chemistry. This concept which is called self-assembly, is employed for formation of nanoscale self-assembled architectures with desirable properties. Self-assembly has emerged as a potent procedure for controlling the structure and characteristics of ensembles. Among self-assembled structures, polymersomes have revealed prodigious potential in drug delivery and development of smart nanomedicine due to their morphological similarities to cellular membranes and viral capsids. Moreover, their functional, tunable and stable membrane render them more advantageous to their lipid counter parts. Polymersomes have been used as different therapeutic carriers as drugs and imaging agents, as well as nanoreactors and artificial organelles. Here we review different basis of self-assembling polymersomes and their properties, the synthesis of various amphiphilic copolymers for vesicles preparation and potential applications of smart controlled release vesicles.

Keywords: Amphiphilic copolymer; Nanomedicine; Polymersome; Self-assembly; Vesicles.