MOJ Polymer Science Advancements in Polymer Science: ‘Smart’ Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Cancer Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Abbreviations: PSMA: Poly(Styrene-Alt-Maleic Anhydride); FA- SMA: Folate Functionalized SMA; DABA: 2,4-Diaminobutyric Acid; PLGA-OP: oseltamivir Phosphate Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid); OP-pPEGMEMA: Oseltamivir Phosphate-Conjugated Polymeric Micelles Introduction Conventional chemotherapy is one of the standard treatments for cancer patients; however, current strategies used in the clinic suffer from limitations such as poor aqueous solubility, elevated toxicity, lack of cancer cell selectivity and chemoresistance [1]. The application of nanotechnology to deliver drugs to tumor cells is an attractive alternative. It allows drugs to be delivered to cancer cells specifically with prolonged circulation time and a controlled drug release [2-4]. In addition, controlled drug delivery improves bioavailability by preventing premature degradation and enhancing uptake, as well as maintaining drug concentration, release rates within the therapeutic window, and reducing side effects [5-7]. Another advantage of nanomaterials is the possibility to design materials with amphiphilic properties allowing for the solubilization of potent hydrophobic drugs for efficient transport and delivery. Therefore, different strategies have been adopted to develop nanocarriers specifically for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. This paper will briefly introduce the use of nanomaterials in medicine, general methods used for the optimization of targeted drug carriers, and will present in detail three successful carriers developed for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. Nanoparticles in Medicine Nanoparticles are nano- or micro-sized composed of metal or organic elements that can be fabricated from synthetic, semi- synthetic or natural materials for use in several applications in the field of medicine. Firstly, metal nanoparticles, such as gold or silver have been successfully used for imaging as well as biosensing [8]. These applications rely on the novel physical and optical properties of the particles at the nanoscale. Indeed, gold nanoparticles are optically active and their absorption wavelength can be controlled with the size of the nanoparticles. This property is linked to the surface Plasmon band of the unpaired electrons at the surface of the nanoparticle, which gives a very precise and wide range of colors accessible for very efficient imaging and sensing properties. Secondly, nanoparticles have potential applications in regenerative medicine using mesoporous silica nanoparticles [9]. This platform may be used for imaging in tissue engineering and for stem cell therapy as well as controlled drug Volume 1 Issue 3 - 2017 1 Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Canada 2 Contributing first authorship 3 Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College, Canada *Corresponding authors: Myron R Szewczuk, Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada, Tel: +1 613 533 2457; Fax: +1 613 533 6796; Email: Cecile Malardier-Jugroot, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sawyer Mod 5, Rm 5512, Royal Military College of Canada, PO Box 17000, Station Forces Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada, Tel +1 613 541 6000 ext 6046; Fax +1 613 542 9489; Email: Received: May 20, 2017 | Published: July 11, 2017 Mini Review MOJ Poly Sci 2017, 1(3): 00016 Abstract The therapeutic potential of polymeric nanoparticles has garnered attention due to the multiple applications for which this technology can be used. This is particularly important for cancer as many of the cytotoxic drugs that are used to treat patients have negative side effects on healthy cells. Polymeric nanoparticle technology can reduce these negative side effects as they can be engineered to respond to the unique external environment surrounding tumors (i.e. an acidic environment and pH response) or they can target specific receptors such as folate, found exclusively on cancer cells and release their payload directly. This review will discuss the current applications of polymer nanoparticles in nanomedicine as a whole, with a focus on the development of polymeric nanoparticles and their applications as targeted drug delivery vehicles. Graphical Abstract Keywords: Nanoparticles; Targeted drug delivery systems; pH sensitive delivery vehicle; Slow release; Nanomedicine; Pancreatic cancer