The Hyperbranched Polymer as a Medical Rising Star: From Synthesis to Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The advancement of medicine is inextricably linked to the development of biomedical materials. Hyperbranched polymers (HPBs), as a class of highly branched three-dimensional (3D) macromolecules, possess characteristics such as facile chemical modification and multi-cavity structures. Through appropriate design, they can fulfill the requirements of biomedical materials in medical applications. This review comprehensively elaborates on the preparation approaches of three types of HBPs, single-monomer method, double-monomer method, and coupling-monomer method, while also conducting an analysis of the characteristics inherent to each of these methods. Moreover, by taking the multi-cavity and multi-functional group structures of HBPs as well as their correlations with the realization of biomedical functions as the entry points, it systematically reviews the recent applications of HBPs in various biomedical fields, including drug delivery, antibiosis, tissue engineering, bio-glue, and bioimaging. Finally, the future development direction and challenges of HBPs are prospected.

Keywords: Hyperbranched polymer, Single-monomer method, Double-monomer method, Coupling monomer method, Antibacterial, Drug delivery, Bioimaging, Medical glue, Tissue engineering