Abstract
Fusion between external stimuli and drug carrier technologies is extremely attractive as the next generation of targeted drug delivery, which can achieve a site-selective drug action at target tissues and organs. Among several external stimuli, the use of temperature-responsive system is attractive due to both a low invasiveness to non-target normal tissues and the facile development of medical external energy irradiation devices.
In this review, the author presents the molecular design and unique properties of various thermoresponsive drug carrier systems, which can achieve spatial and temporal drug modulation at target sites by combining with external heating devices, such as hyperthermia.
