title: Macromolecular therapeutics.
abstract: This review covers water-soluble polymer-drug conjugates and macromolecules that possess biological activity without attached low molecular weight drugs. The main design principles of traditional and backbone degradable polymer-drug conjugates as well as the development of a new paradigm in nanomedicines - (low molecular weight) drug-free macromolecular therapeutics are discussed. To address the biological features of cancer, macromolecular therapeutics directed to stem/progenitor cells and the tumor microenvironment are deliberated. Finally, the future perspectives of the field are briefly debated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Jiyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA. Electronic address: jindrich.kopecek@utah.edu.
authors.forename: Jindřich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopeček
mesh_terms: D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000266:history; D015195:Drug Design; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry / Q000266:history; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000266:history; D012995:Solubility; D013234:Stem Cells
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011108:Polymers
keywords: Cancer; Degradable polymeric carriers; Drug-free macromolecular therapeutics; Macromolecular therapeutics; N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide; Water-soluble polymers
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