Temperature-sensitive Polymer-gold Nanocomposites as Intelligent Therapeutic Systems

Research in the field of biomaterials and drug delivery is moving toward individually tailored intelligent therapeutic systems which are capable of responding to and correcting undesirable conditions, on a molecular level, within the body (1, 2). These systems will mimic natural biosystems in their size, structure, and function, and will therefore need to be synthesized using advanced nanofabrication techniques. The development of these and other nanoscale polymer systems is of interest in modern research as well, due to the possibility of combining the advantages of traditional macroscale polymer properties, such as swelling, with nanoscale properties, such as faster drug release rates due to shorter characteristic lengths and spatially localized heating effects. Also, due to the size limitations imposed by the body’s natural defense mechanisms, such as the reticuloendothelial system, polymer systems 0.3 μm in diameter and smaller will be required for the development of effective in vivo intelligent therapeutic systems (3-5).