In this episode, we explore the next generation of polymeric drug carriers, made from sustainably sourced glycerol and diglycerol. Researchers are replacing traditional PEGylated polymers with innovative glycerol-based polyesters and copolyesters that are biodegradable, biocompatible, and free from PEG-related immunogenic risks.We cover four recent studies investigating how changes to the polymer backbone—like adding hydrophobic diols or tweaking amphiphilicity—dramatically affect nanoparticle formation, drug encapsulation, and in vivo performance.🔍 Key Topics Covered: • The rise of poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA) and poly(diglycerol adipate) (PDGA) as eco-friendly drug carriers • How backbone modifications (adding 1,6-hexanediol or altering hydrophilicity) fine-tune nanoparticle properties • Chitosan-based nanoparticles for delivering sodium usnate in osteosarcoma therapy, combining drug delivery with cancer suppression • Advanced stability, encapsulation, and whole-organism (Caenorhabditis elegans) biocompatibility testing of these smart polymers • Why these next-generation biodegradable polyesters could replace PEG in future medicines📖 Based on 4 Research Articles: 1. Poly (diglycerol adipate) variants as enhanced nanocarrier replacements in drug delivery applications – Jacob et al., 2023 2. Glycerol- and diglycerol-based polyesters: Evaluation of backbone alterations upon nano-formulation performance – Axioti et al., 2024 3. Self-assembled chitosan-sodium usnate drug delivery nanosystems: Synthesis, characterisation, stability, cytotoxicity, and biocompatibility against 143B cells – Brugnoli et al., 2023 4. Glycerol-Based Copolyesters as Polymeric Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery – D’Anna et al., 2025 🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more discoveries at the interface of polymer science, drug delivery, and whole-organism research!🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com

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