Polymeric micelles for therapeutic delivery of gaseous signaling molecules

Endogenously-produced gases such as nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) have recently emerged as a unique class of signal-transmitter molecules that regulate the cardiovascular, nervous and immunological systems in the human body. Despite their interesting biological functions, the therapeutic potential of these gases has not been well-explored due to the difficulty in handling of these gases. Therefore, development of gas delivery methods that can mimic endogenous gas generation have attracted growing attention. One common approach is to use gas donor compounds which generate these gases upon decomposition under physiological conditions. However, this approach in general suffers from uncontrolled gas generation and toxic side effects caused by the gas donors themselves, which limits their applications.