The recent emergence of nanomedicine has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape and necessitated the creation of more sophisticated drug delivery systems. Polymeric nanoparticles sit at the forefront of numerous promising drug delivery designs, due to their unmatched control over physiochemical properties such as size, shape, architecture, charge, and surface functionality. Furthermore, polymeric nanoparticles have the ability to navigate various biological barriers to precisely target specific sites within the body, encapsulate a diverse range of therapeutic cargo and efficiently release this cargo in response to internal and external stimuli. However, despite these remarkable advantages, the presence of polymeric nanoparticles in wider clinical application is minimal. This review will provide a comprehensive understanding of polymeric nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles. The biological barriers affecting drug delivery will be outlined first, followed by a comprehensive description of the various nanoparticle designs and preparation methods, beginning with the polymers on which they are based. The review will meticulously explore the current performance of polymeric nanoparticles against a myriad of diseases including cancer, viral and bacterial infections, before finally evaluating the advantages and crucial challenges that will determine their wider clinical potential in the decades to come.

中文翻译：

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用于药物输送的聚合物纳米颗粒

最近出现的纳米医学彻底改变了治疗领域，并需要创建更复杂的药物输送系统。聚合物纳米粒子由于其对尺寸、形状、结构、电荷和表面功能等物理化学特性的无与伦比的控制，处于众多有前途的药物递送设计的最前沿。此外，聚合物纳米颗粒能够穿越各种生物屏障，精确靶向体内的特定部位，封装多种治疗物质，并根据内部和外部刺激有效释放该物质。然而，尽管有这些显着的优点，聚合物纳米粒子在更广泛的临床应用中的存在却很少。本综述将提供对聚合物纳米粒子作为药物输送载体的全面了解。首先概述影响药物输送的生物屏障，然后全面描述各种纳米颗粒的设计和制备方法，从它们所基于的聚合物开始。该综述将仔细探索聚合物纳米粒子目前针对包括癌症、病毒和细菌感染在内的多种疾病的性能，然后最终评估其优势和关键挑战，这些优势和挑战将决定其在未来几十年更广泛的临床潜力。