Polysaccharide-Based Conjugates for Biomedical Applications

Polysaccharides contain different functional groups (such as hydroxyl, amino, carboxylic acid, aldehydes) that make them ideal for conjugation. They are biodegradable, biocompatible, and hydrophilic. Polysaccharide conjugates have been used in drug, gene, and macromolecule delivery, tissue engineering, and other biomedical applications. Polysaccharide conjugates have also been used primarily for solubilization and controlled release of hydrophobic moieties. The advent of nanotechnology, gene therapy, and tissue engineering influenced the way these conjugates are now used. Modern day conjugates are modulated to be thermoresponsive, pH-responsive, photoresponsive, or target-specific (receptor mediated targeting). This Review briefly introduces different polysaccharides followed by different synthetic strategies used for conjugation; finally, recent applications were compiled.