Nanomedicine-based modulation of redox status for cancer therapy

Abstract

Cancer has always been a major disease with an unfavorable impact on human health worldwide. Redox biology has a close and complicated relationship to the initiation and progression of cancer. Continuous work is being conducted to develop novel approaches for cancer prevention and therapy by modulating redox homeostasis, but problems in drug targeting, drug resistance, adverse effects and recurrence are persistent challenges. Nanotechnology is emerging as a powerful tool to achieve specific targeting, non-invasive therapeutics, high therapeutic efficiency and improved drug sensitivity for cancers by exploiting the features of their microenvironment, especially the redox properties. In addition, nanoplatform-mediated delivery of anticancer drugs or exogenous antioxidants/oxidants affords a promising prospect for cancer therapy. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in redox species-responsive nanoplatforms for tumor treatment. Current nanocarrier mediated strategies that manage redox status for cancer treatment will also be discussed.