Abstract
Polymers have long been employed as carriers of choice for efficient delivery of therapeutic agents. Several block copolymers including triblock copolymers have been designed using different materials, in different sizes and shapes, for carrying out drug delivery. They can be modified to encapsulate drug, gene or vaccine without any limitations of altered molecular weight or difficulty in DDS preparation which are often associated with multiblock or diblock copolymer. Researchers have designed numerous structural nanocarriers such as nanomicelles, polymerosomes, thermosresponsive hydrogels, nanospheres and many more using triblock copolymers for co-delivery of therapeutic agents via enteral and parenteral routes for treatment of different diseases and infections. These can be synthesized as ABA or BAB type to alter and control the delivery of hydrophobic drugs at the targeted site as and when required. Besides Cancer, the most prominent use of structured triblock copolymers employed till date is for the delivery of antimicrobials, including antivirals, antifungal, antibiotics and most importantly against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Furthermore, the delivery of drugs and gene to the brain that is often limited due to the presence of Blood Brain Barrier is sufficiently enhanced by the thermogels made of triblock copolymer. Most recently, the production of drug induced self-assembly nanoantibiotics comprising triblock copolymers for enhancing immunoregulatory effects and treating bacterial infections have caught the attention of various researchers. This review consolidates positive results obtained from numerous in vitro and in vivo studies that were performed for different antimicrobial drugs loaded triblock nanocarrier and have proven effective against infections-showing sustained drug delivery, higher bactericidal activity, reduced cytotoxicity, lowered haemolysis and overall enhanced biocompatibility. These results obtained from altered triblock copolymers designs, highlights their future therapeutic prospects for not just treating but also for overcoming antimicrobial resistance, which today is a matter of concern worldwide.
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