title: Polymeric drugs: Advances in the development of pharmacologically active polymers.
abstract: Synthetic polymers play a critical role in pharmaceutical discovery and development. Current research and applications of pharmaceutical polymers are mainly focused on their functions as excipients and inert carriers of other pharmacologically active agents. This review article surveys recent advances in alternative pharmaceutical use of polymers as pharmacologically active agents known as polymeric drugs. Emphasis is placed on the benefits of polymeric drugs that are associated with their macromolecular character and their ability to explore biologically relevant multivalency processes. We discuss the main therapeutic uses of polymeric drugs as sequestrants, antimicrobials, antivirals, and anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents.
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: david.oupicky@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oupický
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011108:Polymers / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011108:Polymers
keywords: Antimicrobials; Antivirals; Cancer; Dendrimers; Drug delivery; Gene delivery; Multivalency; Polymer therapeutics; Polymeric drugs; Polymeric sequestrants; SiRNA delivery; Tumor delivery