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Bridging Polymer Science and Medicine Through Supramolecular Nanoassemblies

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Hierarchical Macromolecular Structures: 60 Years after the Staudinger Nobel Prize I

Part of the book series: Advances in Polymer Science ((POLYMER,volume 261))

Abstract

Boundaries between synthetic polymers and biology are disappearing as an increasing number of manmade macromolecular constructs take a central role in biological processes. The research in this area has been continuously growing since the structure of polymers was proposed by Hermann Staudinger, with landmark findings in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Polymeric systems in the biological interface have evolved from linear bioactive polymers into self-assembled nanostructures with compartmentalized architectures that perform versatile complex processes within specific cellular locations. Due to their supramolecular nature, it is possible to integrate the structural and functional information of these nanoassemblies just by engineering the starting macromolecules. These assemblies have demonstrated high clinical potential for efficient site-specific sensing, transport, and modulation of bioactive molecules by taking advantage of their controlled interaction with physiological environments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan

    Horacio Cabral & Kazunori Kataoka

  2. Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Kazunori Kataoka

  3. Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan

    Kazunori Kataoka

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  1. Horacio Cabral
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  2. Kazunori Kataoka
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Correspondence to Kazunori Kataoka .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Virgil Percec

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Cabral, H., Kataoka, K. (2013). Bridging Polymer Science and Medicine Through Supramolecular Nanoassemblies. In: Percec, V. (eds) Hierarchical Macromolecular Structures: 60 Years after the Staudinger Nobel Prize I. Advances in Polymer Science, vol 261. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/12_2013_271

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