Synthetic polymers as drugs and therapeutics

Synthetic polymers are of increasing interest as therapeutic agents owing to their enhanced pharmacokinetic profiles relative to small molecule drugs. Multifunctional polymers are now being prepared that can 'hide' biologically active compounds, such as cytotoxic agents, therapeutic proteins or nucleic acids, until they reach target sites in the body, but which can then release the agent in situ to effect the therapy. In this feature article we consider the sophisticated macromolecular constructs that are being developed, ranging from polymer-drug conjugates to self-assembled polymer-biopolymer complexes. These polymer therapeutics are likely to form the,next generation' of medicines, with improved efficacy against a wide spectrum of diseases.