Copolymers for Targeted Drug Delivery Systems

Targeted drug delivery systems based on copolymeric materials have emerged as a pivotal strategy to enhance therapeutic index, reduce systemic toxicity and enable site-specific release. Through the rational design of amphiphilic block copolymers, which self-assemble into nanostructures such as micelles, polymersomes and nanogels, investigators can finely tune physicochemical properties including size, surface charge and degradation kinetics. Polyethylene glycol (PEG), polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA) and related derivatives form the backbone of these platforms, offering controllable hydrophilic–hydrophobic balances and excellent biocompatibility. Functionalisation with targeting ligands or stimuli-sensitive moieties further enables active homing to diseased tissues and triggered release in response to pH, redox potential or enzymatic activity. These multifunctional copolymers facilitate the incorporation of diverse payloads—ranging from small-molecule chemotherapeutics and natural products to nucleic acids—thus broadening the therapeutic repertoire and imparting clinical relevance to precision nanomedicine. Emerging formulations have demonstrated efficacy across oncology, inflammatory disorders and antimicrobial applications, underscoring the global significance of copolymer-based delivery. Integration of imaging agents within these systems also enables real-time tracking, reinforcing their theranostic potential and bridging laboratory innovation with clinical translation.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have exploited carbon nanotube–based copolymer platforms to achieve co-delivery of synergistic drug combinations. Functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes conjugated with albumin and loaded with curcumin and methotrexate yield nanoparticles exhibiting high drug loading, improved stability and pH-responsive release, achieving enhanced cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells while minimising off-target effects. Another seminal development employed biodegradable triblock PCL–PEG–PCL and pentablock PLA–PCL–PEG–PCL–PLA copolymers to encapsulate natural anticancer compounds such as auraptene. These nano-vehicles, with hydrodynamic diameters around 110 nm, deliver sustained release profiles and significantly increase apoptotic induction in colon carcinoma models, demonstrating the utility of block architecture in tuning biological outcomes.

Copolymers for Targeted Drug Delivery Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in copolymers for targeted drug delivery systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Copolymers: Polymers composed of two or more distinct monomer units arranged in blocks or segments to confer tailored properties.

Amphiphilic: Describes molecules with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains that drive self-assembly in aqueous environments.

Micelles: Nanoscale, core–shell aggregates of amphiphilic copolymers capable of encapsulating hydrophobic drugs within their inner core.

Encapsulation efficiency: The ratio of the amount of therapeutic agent entrapped within a carrier to the total amount initially used.

pH-responsive release: Stimuli-sensitive drug liberation triggered by changes in acidity, often exploited within acidic tumour microenvironments.

References

1. Poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol) Tri-Block Copolymer as Quercetin Delivery System for Human Colorectal Carcinoma Cells: Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Study. Polymers (2023).
2. The synthesis and development of poly(ε-caprolactone) conjugated polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleate-based micelles for curcumin drug release: an in vitro study on breast cancer cells. RSC Advances (2023).
3. Multi-wall carbon Nanotube surface-based functional nanoparticles for stimuli-responsive dual pharmaceutical compound delivery. Scientific Reports (2024).
4. Novel nano-vehicle for delivery and efficiency of anticancer auraptene against colon cancer cells. Scientific Reports (2020).
5. Biodegradable PEG-PCL Nanoparticles for Co-delivery of MUC1 Inhibitor and Doxorubicin for the Confinement of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Journal of Polymers and the Environment (2022).