Abstract: Utilizing biocompatible polymers as platforms to covalently conjugate with chemotherapeutics to construct polymer-based prodrugs and their nano drug delivery systems has attracted great attention in recent years. This perspective reviewed state-of-the-arts for polymer-based doxorubicin prodrugs and the related nanodelivery systems, including: (1) pH-responsive polymer-doxorubicin prodrugs/conjugates; (2) pH/redox- dual responsive prodrugs/conjugates; (3) reactive oxygen species/hypoxia-responsive polymer-doxorubicin prodrugs; (4) tumor receptor targeting polymer prodrugs; (5) enzyme-responsive polymer-doxorubicin prodrugs. Finally, possible future perspectives were also stated and discussed.

Key words: polymers, doxorubicin, prodrug, stimuli-responsive, drug delivery, nanosystem