ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors utilize thermoresponsive properties of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PIPAAm) and its gels as on-off switches for drug release, chromatography systems, and attachment/detachment of cells. Exploiting the high chain end mobility will lead to more effective control of the thermoresponsive properties of modified PIPAAm compared to statistically modified PIPAAm. A-B-type block copolymers of PIPAAm containing a hydrophobic segment exhibit thermoresponsive soluble/insoluble changes and can form core-shell stmctured polymeric micelles. The thermoresponsive character of micellar structures constructed by self-assembly of the modified PIPAAm chains is not always consistent with that of PIPAAm, especially with regard to its lower critical solution temperature and the thermal response transition rates. Utilizing preferable characteristics of thermoresponsive polymeric micelles as a drug carrier system improves targeting efficacy according to both effect of passive targeting and temperature modulation by local heating. J. N. Weinstein and coworkers studied thermosensitive liposomes to achieve temperature modulated, targeted drug delivery.
