Poly(-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV): Current advances in synthesis methodologies, antitumor applications and biocompatibility

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are often used for fabrication of biocompatible and absorbable medical devices due to their high biocompatibility and biodegradability. Among them, poly (-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) are the most studied members of the PHA family, with numerous applications, especially in the biomedical areas. Due to superior physicochemical characteristics, in biological medium, PHBV degrades at a slower rate than PHB, making the copolymer an interesting long-term drug release platform, for example, encapsulating antineoplastic drugs for cancer therapy. Papers describing the use of PHBV-based nanoparticles for tumor have been dedicated to passive targeting-strategies based on the EPR effect and the results have been revealed relevant outcomes in cancer research. From the relevant advances obtained in the last years, this review focuses on the ultimate progresses obtained by PHBV systems on the cellular uptake knowledge, biocompatibility and applications in tumor targeting, took into account on the latest advances related to new strategies to obtain nanostructured systems through the living radical polymerization methodologies, aiming to bring a relevant update regarding biomedical applications of PHBV.