Oxidative Stress—Responsive Systems

Oxidative stress is caused predominantly by the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which may potentially be useful as a stimulus for targeted drug delivery. Oxidation-responsive polymers show great potential in the biomedical field and drug delivery applications. Although oxidative stress—responsive NF systems are slow in development, this stimulus can be targeted in future stimuli-sensitive approaches for diseases associated with oxidative stress such as the posterior eye segment diseases [41,70].

Carbohydrate-Responsive Systems

Carbohydrate-responsive systems have gained attention in drug delivery. These systems are designed to produce the triggered drug release in response to specific chemicals such as sugars (glucose, fructose, and mannose). These polymers have garnered considerable attention because of their application in both sensing and delivery (insulin) applications. In spite of these advantages, the major limitations are short response duration and biocompatibility issues [45].