Nanoengineered polymer capsules: tools for detection, controlled delivery, and site-specific manipulation.
We present the concept of multifunctional nanoengineered polymer capsules and outline their applications as new drug delivery systems or supramolecular toolboxes containing, for example, enzymes capable of converting nontoxic prodrugs into toxic drugs at a designated location. Such functionalized nanocontainers offer a wide range of applications including enzymatic catalysis, controlled release, and directed drug delivery in medicine due to their multifunctionality. The unique advantage of capsules in comparison to other systems is that they can be functionalized or loaded simultaneously with the above-mentioned components, thus permitting multifunctional processes in single cells.
Sukhorukov
Gleb B
GB
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interface, 14424 Potsdam/Golm, Germany, Fax. gleb@mpikg-golm.mpg.de
Rogach
Andrey L
AL
Zebli
Bernd
B
Liedl
Tim
T
Skirtach
Andre G
AG
Köhler
Karen
K
Antipov
Alexei A
AA
Gaponik
Nikolai
N
Susha
Andrei S
AS
Winterhalter
Mathias
M
Parak
Wolfgang J
WJ
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D002214:Capsules; D002384:Catalysis; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004798:Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D053769:Nanocapsules / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D045663:Quantum Dots
D002214:Capsules; D004798:Enzymes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D053769:Nanocapsules; D011108:Polymers