Table 1.

Characteristic features of self-assembling prodrugs versus carrier-based nanomedicines.

Characteristics	Self-Assembling Prodrugs	Carrier-Based Nanomedicines
Carriers	no carriers/self-delivery	Well-defined nanoparticles
Formulation	Molecular self-assembly	Physical encapsulation
Drug loading capacity	100% prodrug loading	Vary from system to system, typically less than 5%
Physiochemical properties	Defined by the prodrug molecular design	Defined by the nanoparticle carrier
Release mechanism	Linker cleavage through enzymes, hydrolysis or other metabolism pathways	Nanoparticle breakdown and drug diffusion
Excretion	Drug metabolism	Nanoparticle breakdown and chemical degradation