Pluronic F127-Based Thermosensitive Gels for Delivery of Therapeutic Proteins and Peptides

Abstract

Pluronic F127 block copolymer (PF127) has been recognized as an important biomaterial used for the efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins and peptides against various incurable diseases and thereby has gained increasing attention of pharmaceutical researchers. The aim of the present article is to highlight the biopharmaceutical significance of PF127-based thermosensitive gels for sustained delivery of therapeutic proteins and peptides. In this article, we have discussed various approaches adopted by several researchers for sustained release of different proteins and peptides from PF127-based thermosensitive gels. Incorporation of therapeutic proteins and peptides in PF127-based thermosensitive gels have shown to increase thermostability, biocompatibility, bioavailability, and therapeutic effects of these therapeutic agents. Summarizing various studies which have used PF127 as thermosensitive gel for controlled release of therapeutic proteins and peptides with no known toxicity, we conclude that PF127 continues to show its prospective effects for sustained delivery of therapeutic proteins and peptides. Taken together, we can expect a promising future of PF127 as polymer therapeutic for significant clinical outcomes of therapeutic proteins and peptides.

Keywords:

• Pluronic
•  thermosensitive gel
•  proteinous drugs
•  therapeutic proteins
• sustained delivery

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the grant (2012ZX09506001-004) from National Major Projects for Science and Technology Development of Ministry Science and Technology of China. The first two authors acknowledge China Scholarship Council to provide scholarships for their PhD studies in Zhejiang University, China. The first two authors also acknowledge the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for providing partial support to the PhD studies of Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash and Kanwal Rehman.