Pluronics: Intelligent building units for targeted cancer therapy and molecular imaging

Pluronics are triblock copolymers, in which two hydrophilic poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks are connected via a hydrophobic poly propylene oxide (PPO) block. Because of their low molecular weight and high content of PEO, Pluronics have demonstrated the micellization phenomenon, which is dependent on temperature and/or concentration. With an understanding of micellization phenomenon in more detail, information on the morphology, micelle core radius, aggregation behavior with critical micelle concentration (CMC) and critical micelle temperature (CMT) and so on has been revealed. Based on this acquired information, various studies have been performed for biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems, tissue regeneration scaffolders, and biosurfactants. This review discusses the delivery of small molecules and macromolecules using Pluronic-based NPs and their composites.