pH-responsive polymers for drug delivery applications

Abstract Drug delivery systems (DDSs) have attracted much attention in recent years because they can overcome several limitations associated with direct drug administration. In particular, stimuli-responsive polymeric DDSs have become very attractive. Among the various stimuli-responsive polymers, pH-triggered delivery has been studied extensively due to pH variations (the trigger) in the body. In this review, we briefly discuss the advantages of the nanotherapeutic approach and the design of several pH-responsive nanocarriers. The review focuses on the chemical design and the different drug release mechanisms induced by changes in pH values. Challenges and future prospectives are also presented.