CHAPTER 5: Micellar and Emulsion-Assisted Drug Delivery: Comparison of Miktoarm Star Polymers and Block Copolymers

Targeted drug delivery is one of the most researched topics in recent years since non-specific delivery may cause major and fatal damage to healthy tissue during treatment. Stimulus-responsive drug delivery is a safe and straightforward way to facilitate the delivery to the designated target. This can be realised by encapsulation of an active ingredient into polymer micelles/particles or preparation of drug nanocrystals stabilised by a polymer. Block copolymers and star shaped copolymers provide an excellent platform for this purpose. In this chapter, an overview is given of the recent progress in miktoarm star polymers with a comparison to other types of block copolymers. One important aspect is the tuning of the stimulus-responsive behaviour and the potential of these polymers as stabilisers for emulsions, since emulsion formulations may be conveniently administered via oral route. Special attention is being placed on opportunities and limitations arising from the unique structures and syntheses of different polymer types. Furthermore, stimulus-responsive micellisation and encapsulation for drug delivery as feasible applications in the pharmaceutical field are described. Conclusions and perspectives on the use of miktoarm star polymer for nanoparticle and emulsion formulations are given.