Development of stimuli responsive polymeric nanomedicines modulating tumor microenvironment for improved cancer therapy

Abstract

The complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) severely hinders the therapeutic effects of various cancer treatment modalities. The TME differs from normal tissues owing to the presence of hypoxia, low pH, and immune-suppressive characteristics. Modulation of the TME to reverse tumor growth equilibrium is considered an effective way to treat tumors. Recently, polymeric nanomedicines have been widely used in cancer therapy, because their synthesis can be controlled and they are highly modifiable, and have demonstrated great potential to remodel the TME. In this review, we outline the application of various stimuli responsive polymeric nanomedicines to modulate the TME, aiming to provide insights for the design of the next generation of polymeric nanomedicines and promote the development of polymeric nanomedicines for cancer therapy.

ROS-generating nanoplatforms as selective and tunable therapeutic weapons against cancer

“…Fifth, the in vivo TME represent a tumour niche characterized by intrinsic factors different form normal tissues, like an increased ROS production, a low pH, a reduced oxygen level and an overexpression of GSH level [ 122 – 124 ]. Furthermore, extremely important is to consider that different types of cancer cells modulate differently their antioxidant capacities, their internal ROS level and finally their redox balance [ 125 ], leading therefore to unlike responsiveness to the ROS-generating platform used.…”

Recent advances in targeted drug delivery for the treatment of glioblastoma

“…2). [37][38][39] These anomalous physiological changes facilitate the rapid proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumors while conferring robust resistance against conventional therapies. 40 Moreover, the TME is immunosuppressive and contains very high levels of immunosuppressive cells, such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), regulatory T cells (Tregs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs).…”

Causal relationship between immune cells and prostate cancer: a Mendelian randomization study

“…For example, the use of nanomaterials in conjunction with circRNA enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to treatment ( Ghorbani et al, 2023 ; Su et al, 2023 ; Wang et al, 2023 ; Xie et al, 2023 ; Zetrini et al, 2023 ; Zhou et al, 2023 ). However, currently the efficacy for recurrent, drug-resistant, and metastatic prostate cancer is limited ( Antonarakis et al, 2010 ; Gao et al, 2023 ; Guo et al, 2023 ; Sooi et al, 2023 ; Su et al, 2023 ). Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the etiology, pathogenesis, and explore new treatment methods for prostate cancer.…”