ProductDescription
Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-block-poly(ethyleneglycol)-Folate(PLGA-PEG-Folate,PLGA-PEG-Folicacid,orPLGA-PEG-FOL)isafunctionalamphiphilicblockcopolymer(ABC)whichhasFolicacid聽groupattheendofPEGblockandisusedtopreparenanoparticlesandmicellesfortargeteddrugdelivery.PLGA-PEGisoneofthemostcommonlyusedbiodegradableABCpolymersfordrugdelivery.FolatereceptorsarecellularsurfaceMarkersfornumeroussolidtumorsandmyeloidleukemias.
Folatetargeteddrugdeliveryhasemergedasanalternativetherapyforthetreatmentandimagingofmanycancersandinflammatorydiseases.Duetoitssmallmolecularsizeandhighbindingaffinityforcellsurfacefolatereceptors(FR),folateconjugateshavetheABIlitytodeliveravarietyofmolecularcomplexestopathologiccellswithoutcausingharmtonormaltissues.ComplexesthathavebeensuccessfullydeliveredtoFRexpressingcells,todate,includeproteintoxins,immunestimulants,chemotherapeuticagents,liposomes,nanoparticles,andimagingagents.ThisreviewwillsummarizetheapplicationsoffolicacidasatargetingligandandhighlightthevariousmethodsbeingdevelopedfordeliveryoftherapeuticandimagingagentstoFR-expressingcells.