TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE GELS AND THERMOGELLING POLYMER MATRICES FOR PROTEIN AND PEPTIDE DELIVERY

The explosive development of protein and peptide drugs has ushered in a great need for effective delivery systems for such drugs. Two decade s of studies of protein delivery from polymeric systems has revealed t he great potential of gels that respond to environmental stimuli, such as temperature. Protein and peptide release can be engineered to occu r in a pulsatile mode. The mechanism of this release is greatly affect ed by polymer design. 'Intelligent' amphiphilic copolymers emerge as a novel trend in the application of thermodynamically stable self-assem bling lyophilic colloids to protein and peptide delivery. (C) 1998 Els evier Science B.V.