title: Amphiphilic block co-polymers: preparation and application in nanodrug and gene delivery.
abstract: Self-assembly of amphiphilic block co-polymers composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as the hydrophilic block and poly(ether)s, poly(amino acid)s, poly(ester)s and polypropyleneoxide (PPO) as the hydrophobic block can lead to the formation of nanoscopic structures of different morphologies. These structures have been the subject of extensive research in the past decade as artificial mimics of lipoproteins and viral vectors for drug and gene delivery. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the synthesis of commonly used amphiphilic block co-polymers. It will also briefly go over some pharmaceutical applications of amphiphilic block co-polymers as "nanodelivery systems" for small molecules and gene therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Xiao-Bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Ziyad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Binkhathlan
authors.forename: Ommoleila
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Molavi
authors.forename: Afsaneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavasanifar
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008823:Micelles; D036103:Nanotechnology
chemical_list: D008823:Micelles