Recent progress in the development of phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized layer-by-layer (LbL) assemblies and their biomedical applications was reviewed. Stimuli-sensitive LbL films and microcapsules that exhibit permeability changes or decompose in response to sugars and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) have been developed using PBA-bearing polymers. The responses of PBA-modified LbL assemblies arise from the competitive binding of sugars to PBA in the films or oxidative decomposition of PBA by H₂O₂. Electrochemical glucose sensors have been fabricated by coating the surfaces of electrodes by PBA-modified LbL films, while colorimetric and fluorescence sensors can be prepared by modifying LbL films with boronic acid-modified dyes. In addition, PBA-modified LbL films and microcapsules have successfully been used in the construction of drug delivery systems (DDS). Among them, much effort has been devoted to the glucose-triggered insulin delivery systems, which are constructed by encapsulating insulin in PBA-modified LbL films and microcapsules. Insulin is released from the PBA-modified LbL assemblies upon the addition of glucose resulting from changes in the permeability of the films or decomposition of the film entity. Research into insulin DDS is currently focused on the development of high-performance devices that release insulin in response to diabetic levels of glucose (>10 mM) but remain stable at normal levels (~5 mM) under physiological conditions.
Keywords: biosensors; drug delivery systems; layer-by-layer; phenylboronic acid.