Recent Advancement of Polymersomes as Drug Delivery Carrier

Abstract

Background: Biomedical applications of polymersomes have been explored, including drug and gene delivery, insulin delivery, hemoglobin delivery, the delivery of anticancer agents, and various diagnostic purposes.

Objectives: Polymersomes, which are self-assembled amphiphilic block copolymers, have received a lot of attention in drug delivery approaches. This review represents the methods of preparation of polymersomes, including thin-film rehydration, electroformation, double emulsion, gel-assisted rehydration, PAPYRUS method, and solvent injection methods, including various therapeutic applications of polymersomes.

Methods: Data was searched from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct through searching of the following keywords: Polymersomes, methods of preparation, amphiphilic block copolymers, anticancer drug delivery.

Results: Polymersomes provide both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug delivery to a targeted site, increasing the formulation's stability and reducing the cytotoxic side effects of drugs.

Conclusion: Polymersomes have the potential to be used in a variety of biological applications, including drug and gene delivery, insulin delivery, hemoglobin delivery, delivery of anticancer agents, as well as in various diagnostic purposes. Recently, polymersomes have been used more frequently because of their stability, reducing the encapsulated drug's leakage, site-specific drug delivery, and increasing the bioavailability of the drugs and different diagnostic purposes. The liposomes encapsulate only hydrophilic drugs, but polymersomes encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in their cores.

Keywords: PAPYRUS; Polymersomes; anticancer; block copolymer; double emulsion; drug delivery; electroformation; method of preparation; solvent injection; thin-film rehydration.