Polyethylene oxide-polyester micelles for drug delivery

Abstract

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-poly(ester) copolymers are biocompatible, biodegradable diblock polymers that spontaneously form core-shell nanoparticles (i.e. micelles) in water. The hydrophobic polyester core of these micelles can solubilize small, hydrophobic drug molecules that have shown promise in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. This core has undergone much development in recent years to improve the stability, drug loading capacity, and release rates of drugs. The PEO shell is well known to increase the circulatory lifetime of micelles with little or no immune response. This thesis will emphasize PEO-poly(e-caprolactone) micelles in order to highlight recent advances in this area.