In a recent feature article, “Thermoresponsive Polymer Colloids for Drug Delivery and Cancer Therapy”, Prof. Cameron Alexander and his co-workers from the University of Nottingham discuss key attributes, recent examples, and future developments of thermoresponsive polymer colloids for targeted drug delivery and the treatment of cancer.
Colloidal materials offer a means to deliver drugs selectively into tumours, which are often a degree or two warmer than normal tissue, for cancer therapy.
The researchers review the use of micelles, liposomes, and polymeric and inorganic nanoparticles and recent results are highlighted. While a lot of work has been done regarding the synthesis of thermoresponsive colloids, they forecast that testing these systems for in vitro cell uptake and in vivo thermal targeting against tumours were areas of interest for future research.
This article is part of the special Best of Macros 2012 issue, and is now free to read at http://www.best-of-macros.de!
