. 2020 Aug 1;36(9):131. doi: 10.1007/s11274-020-02907-1

Table 5.

Ideal characteristics of Star Polymers for enhanced therapeutic efficacy with certain examples (Llewelyn et al. 2017; Schuetz et al. 2018)

Ideal characteristics	Polymer	Improvement strategy
Well defined structure ATRP^a RAFT^b Nitroxide-mediated Living anionic/cationic Ring-opening metathesis ROP^c	β-Cyclodextrin (initiator core)	Controlled molecular weight Low dispersity
Functionality	(a) γ-Cyclodextrin (cationic star polymer) Conjugated with Folic acid residue via a disulfide bond (b) Cell-penetrating peptides (TAT, RGD, GRGDS) (c) Ag, furanone, quaternary ammonium salts groups	(a) Improved gene delivery in cells overexpressing FA receptor (b) Cell adhesion (adhesives like Polyethylene oxide), rapid internalization (c) Long-lasting antibacterial functionality
Stimuli-responsive Enzymatic Redox potential Light pH Temperature	Block copolymers conjugated with pH-sensitive hydrazone moiety. API is DOX^d	Tumor targeting
Biocompatible	(a) β-Cyclodextrin core (b) Star PLA-Heparin	(a) Temperature responsive hydrogel (b) Hydrophilicity
Biostability and biodegradability	(a) Furanone containing dental cement (b) PLA, PCL, Cyclodextrin	(a) Resistant to light, antibacterial (b) Biodegradable arms and multifunctional core

Ideal characteristics

Polymer

Improvement strategy

Well defined structure

ATRP^a

RAFT^b

Nitroxide-mediated

Living anionic/cationic

Ring-opening metathesis

ROP^c

β-Cyclodextrin

(initiator core)

Controlled molecular weight

Low dispersity

Functionality

(a) γ-Cyclodextrin

(cationic star polymer)

Conjugated with Folic acid residue via a disulfide bond

(b) Cell-penetrating peptides (TAT, RGD, GRGDS)

(a) Improved gene delivery in cells overexpressing FA receptor

(b) Cell adhesion (adhesives like Polyethylene oxide), rapid internalization

Stimuli-responsive

Enzymatic

Redox potential

Light

Temperature

Block copolymers conjugated with pH-sensitive hydrazone moiety. API is DOX^d

Tumor targeting

Biocompatible

(a) β-Cyclodextrin core

(b) Star PLA-Heparin

(a) Temperature responsive hydrogel

(b) Hydrophilicity

Biostability and biodegradability

(a) Furanone containing dental cement

(b) PLA, PCL, Cyclodextrin

(a) Resistant to light, antibacterial

(b) Biodegradable arms and multifunctional core

^aAtom Transfer Radical Polymerization

^bReversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer polymerization

^cRing-opening polymerization

^dDoxorubicin