EPISODE 8: Smart Polymers for Smarter Drug Delivery – From Glycerol to Nanocarriers

In this episode, we explore the next generation of polymeric drug carriers, made from sustainably sourced glycerol and diglycerol. Researchers are replacing traditional PEGylated polymers with innovative glycerol-based polyesters and copolyesters that are biodegradable, biocompatible, and free from PEG-related immunogenic risks.

We cover four recent studies investigating how changes to the polymer backbone—like adding hydrophobic diols or tweaking amphiphilicity—dramatically affect nanoparticle formation, drug encapsulation, and in vivo performance.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

• The rise of poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA) and poly(diglycerol adipate) (PDGA) as eco-friendly drug carriers

• How backbone modifications (adding 1,6-hexanediol or altering hydrophilicity) fine-tune nanoparticle properties

• Chitosan-based nanoparticles for delivering sodium usnate in osteosarcoma therapy, combining drug delivery with cancer suppression

• Advanced stability, encapsulation, and whole-organism (Caenorhabditis elegans) biocompatibility testing of these smart polymers

• Why these next-generation biodegradable polyesters could replace PEG in future medicines

📖 Based on 4 Research Articles:

1. Poly (diglycerol adipate) variants as enhanced nanocarrier replacements in drug delivery applications – Jacob et al., 2023

2. Glycerol- and diglycerol-based polyesters: Evaluation of backbone alterations upon nano-formulation performance – Axioti et al., 2024

3. Self-assembled chitosan-sodium usnate drug delivery nanosystems: Synthesis, characterisation, stability, cytotoxicity, and biocompatibility against 143B cells – Brugnoli et al., 2023

4. Glycerol-Based Copolyesters as Polymeric Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery – D’Anna et al., 2025

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This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info:

🔗 ⁠www.veerenchauhan.com⁠

📧 veeren.chauhan@nottingham.ac.uk