Helical Polymers as Drug Delivery Carriers.

With the continuous development of nanotechnology, a variety of novel materials have been used to constitute drug carriers and have attracted much attention. Among them, helical polymers have great potential for application as drug carriers. Helical polymers improve the efficiency of drug use due to their helical structure and interaction with drug molecules. Therefore, different helical polymers are designed to diversify their functions, such as controlling the drug release rate, good biocompatibility and degradability, and certain cell barrier penetration ability for specific diseases. This review surveys the advancements in research concerning the diverse types of drug carriers constructed from helical polymers for their practical use in biological and medical applications. The use of helical polymers as drug carriers is discussed and evaluated in terms of their structural design and monitoring of drug loading or disease outcome, as well as the future challenges and potential applications of helical polymers.