pH-responsive micro- and nanocarrier systems

Abstract

Release on demand: The pH gradients between extra- and intracellular regions can be utilized for the controlled release of drugs and biological cargos from delivery systems. Biocompatible carrier systems with pH-cleavable units must fulfill many other criteria as well, for example, a long blood circulation time. This can be achieved by tailored micro- and nanocarriers based on macromolecular architectures or stable self-assembled systems.

Keywords: drug delivery; macromolecular carrier systems; polyglycerols; polyphenols; self-assembly.