Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) has attracted considerable scientific attention, thanks to its enhanced water solubility and wide range of possible chemical reactions. In the present review, we attempt to summarize the current knowledge on chemical modifications of CMC, focusing specifically on the derivatization of its carboxyl functions, through “grafting onto” strategies. CMC derivatives, obtained by grafting of small molecules and/or polymers, can be engineered as peculiar assembled architectures (e.g., conjugates, nanoparticles, hydrogels), particularly suitable for the development of drug delivery systems or scaffolds for tissue engineering. The potential of the resulting CMC derivatives in biomedical applications is, therefore, discussed in detail.

羧甲基纤维素（CMC）由于其水溶性增强和广泛的可能的化学反应而引起了广泛的科学关注。在本综述中，我们试图总结当前对CMC进行化学修饰的知识，特别是通过“嫁接到”策略重点关注其羧基功能的衍生化。通过接枝小分子和/或聚合物而获得的CMC衍生物可以被工程化为独特的组装结构（例如，缀合物，纳米颗粒，水凝胶），特别适合于开发用于组织工程的药物递送系统或支架。因此，将详细讨论所得CMC衍生物在生物医学应用中的潜力。