Biorecognizable polymers: Design, structure, and bioactivity

This paper provides a review of the relationship between the structure of biorecognizable N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers and their aggregation in solution with concomitant changes in biorecognition. To test the hypothesis that side-chain terminal moieties play a critical role in the association process, HPMA copolymers containing different stimuli sensitive hydrophobic moieties at side-chain termini (azobenzene, spiropyran, chlorin eg, and phthalocyanine) were synthesized, and their solution and biological properties evaluated. The results obtained are of importance for the design of polymeric drug carriers as well as for the design of supramolecular systems with specialized functions.