Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide-co-glycolide)

PLGA-PEG-PLGA is an amphiphilic triblock copolymer which can self-assemble into micelles in aqueous medium due to the hydrophobic interactions present in the hydrophobic segments. The PEG segment imparts hydrophilicity and improves the biocompatibility of the copolymer. The PLGA segment forms a hydrophobic core and can solubilize hydrophobic drugs. These copolymers are widely used as nanocarriers for the sustained release of drugs. Also this polymer exhibits thermogelation behavior. When applied in biomedical applications, the temperature responsive nature of the copolymer can be tuned to induce an in situ gelation at physiological temperature to provide controlled drug release. These materials have been explored for biomedical applications as temperature-responsive biodegradable systems for drug delivery, tissue engineering and wound healing.