Bioerodible polymers for delivery of macromolecules

Kelly L. Smith, Martin E. Schimpf, Karen E. Thompson

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

40 Scopus citations

Abstract

The delivery of peptides, proteins and other macromolecules to humans and animals has become increasingly important to the medical community. However, these drugs are difficult to administer because of their size, solubility and lability. Erodible polymers offer certain advantages over other methods of administering these drugs. The principal types of erodible polymers useful for delivery of macromolecules include poly(α-hydroxy acids), crosslinked polyester hydrogels, poly(orthoesters), polyanhydrides and polypeptides. The characteristics and status of each of these types of erodible polymers are reviewed below.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)343-357
Number of pages15
JournalAdvanced Drug Delivery Reviews
Volume4
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1990

Keywords

  • Biodegradable polymer
  • Erodible polymer
  • Poly(ortho-ester)
  • Poly(α-hydroxy acid)
  • Polyanhydride
  • Polyester hydrogel
  • Polypeptide

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