Thermoresponsive polymer-peptide/protein conjugates

This review is focused on recent achievements in the covalent attachment of biological entities, such as oligopeptides, proteins and enzymes, to thermoresponsive synthetic polymers and the influence of conjugation on the properties of macromolecules. Bioconjugation, including polymers, has been intensively studied in the last years. Initially polymer bioconjugates have been developed to be used exclusively for biomedical applications. However, within the last few years, it was shown that this novel class of macromolecules is of high importance in many other rapidly developing areas of material science. Among them, the conjugates of biomolecules with thermoresponsive polymers are of high importance. The presence of biological entities influences the phase transition temperature of the bioconjugates, whereas thermoresponsive chain may increase the activity and solubility of the biological entiety. The ability of the thermoresponsive polymers to self-assemble allows for controlled aggregation of the bioconjugate molecules. Such aggregate formation opens novel routes to the biocarrier of controlled parameter.