title: Copolymers of poly(lactic acid) and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate-based nanomedicines: versatile multifunctional platforms for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The major drawbacks associated with most of the anti-cancer drugs are their potential adverse effects. Distribution of these drugs throughout the body causes untoward adverse effects and less accumulation of drug at the site of tumors also causes decrease in therapeutic efficacy. Targeted nanomedicines are the emerging systems to improve the targetability of drug to the tumor site and to reduce the toxicity with maximum efficacy. Copolymers of poly-lactic acid (PLA) and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (Vitamin-E TPGS or TPGS) are innovative materials being actively investigated for the fabrication of non-targeted and targeted nanomedicines for diagnosis and therapy of cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review, different nanomedicines of copolymers such as poly-lactic acid - polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (PLA - Tween® 80), poly-lactic acid - poly-ethyleneglycol (PLA-PEG), poly-lactic acid-D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (PLA-TPGS) and TPGS-based nanomedicines (i.e., TPGS emulsified polymeric nanoparticles, TPGS prodrugs, TPGS liposomes, and TPGS micelles) for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer have been discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PLA, PLA-Tween® 80, PLA-PEG, PLA-TPGS, and TPGS are the promising polymeric biomaterials well studied as cancer nanomedicines. These biomaterials have proved that they could be applied in the fabrication of multifunctional nanomedicines for the future needs in simultaneous diagnosis of cancer as well as targeted chemotherapy.
authors: Banaras Hindu University, Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Pharmaceutics, Varanasi 221005 (U.P), India.
authors: Mahalingam R
authors: MR
authors: Vijayakumar
authors: Madaswamy S
authors: MS
authors: Muthu
authors: Sanjay
authors: S
authors: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000737:chemistry; D050997:Nanomedicine; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D013386:Succinates / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D007773:Lactates; D011091:Polyesters; D013386:Succinates; C088513:poly(lactic acid-ethylene glycol); C514223:poly(lactide)-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C033616:poly(lactide)