Biodegradable polycarbonate-based stimuli-responsive nanosystems for intracellular drug delivery

Biodegradable nanosystems based on functional polycarbonate-based polymers have propelled the development of targeted and controlled drug and gene delivery. Functional polycarbonate-based polymers have overcome many drawbacks which limited the application of the common polyester materials in this area. It is apparent that recently introduced novel functionalities in polycarbonate-based polymers allowed the preparation of novel nanocarriers, which are bioresponsive (i.e. pH, temperature, and redox) and which have improved stability (i.e. crosslinking and hydrogen bonding) and the ability to conjugate therapeutic agents, targeting ligands and fluorescence probes. Furthermore, functionalized polycarbonate-based polymers could be successfully applied as gene delivery systems. This thesis focuses on the design of functional cyclic carbonate monomers, which are used to create functional degradable polymers containing versatile pendants, providing interesting platforms for targeted and triggered intracellular release of potent chemotherapeutics.