ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses nanosystems based on polymer–drug conjugates for cancer therapy. It also discusses the new trends in the field of prodrug-based nanoassemblies that enhance the delivery efficiency of anticancer drugs, with special emphasis on smart stimuli-triggered drug release. The polymer–drug conjugate offers several significant advantages over the parent drug molecule, including improved aqueous solubility of hydrophobic drugs, enhanced stability of drugs, improved bioavailability, prolonged plasma life. The covalent attachment of a drug to a hydrophilic polymer provided a means to overcome the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic challenges associated with small molecule therapeutics. Various types of biocompatible polymers, including synthetic and block copolymers, dendritic polymers, and natural polysaccharides, have been used in the synthesis of polymer–drug conjugates for cancer therapy. The in vivo antitumor activity showed that the glycol-chitosan–doxorubicin nanoaggregates showed antitumor effect similar to free drug with a longer circulation time and fewer side effects.
