Recent advances of bioresponsive polymeric nanomedicine for cancer therapy

Abstract

A bioresponsive polymeric nanocarrier for drug delivery is able to alter its physical and physicochemical properties in response to a variety of biological signals and pathological changes, and can exert its therapeutic efficacy within a confined space. These nanosystems can optimize the biodistribution and subcellular location of therapeutics by exploiting the differences in biochemical properties between tumors and normal tissues. Moreover, bioresponsive polymer-based nanosystems could be rationally designed as precision therapeutic platforms by optimizing the combination of responsive elements and therapeutic components according to the patient-specific disease type and stage. In this review, recent advances in smart bioresponsive polymeric nanosystems for cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy will be summarized. We mainly discuss three categories, including acidity-sensitive, redox-responsive, and enzyme-triggered polymeric nanosystems. The important issues regarding clinical translation such as reproducibility, manufacture, and probable toxicity, are also commented.

Nanomedicine Combats Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer

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Editorial: Bioresponsive nanomaterials for drug delivery or controlled release

“…Bioresponsive nanomedicines in response to the signals of biological signals, pathological stimuli, or external signals have attracted increasing attention from various researchers for precision drug delivery ( Hong et al, 2023 ). Through targeting delivery or controlling the release of payloads in nanoparticles, these designs have greatly enhanced the efficacy as well as decreased the toxicity of existing drugs ( Hong et al, 2023 ). In view of the significant progress in this field and the clinical translation prospect of many innovative nanomedicines, basic research needs to be enhanced.…”

Polymer–Drug Conjugates Codeliver a Temozolomide Intermediate and Nitric Oxide for Enhanced Chemotherapy against Glioblastoma Multiforme

“…Polymer-based drug delivery systems have attracted massive attention in cancer chemotherapy, owing to the tunable backbones and flexible functionalization of side chains achieving their superior biocompatibility, water dispersibility, targeting capability, biodegradability, etc. − Polymer–drug conjugates (PDCs), covalently tethering prodrugs to a polymer instead of encapsulation or adsorption, protect prodrugs from leakage and invalidation in circulation, escort them for cellular uptake and release drugs in the target sites. , Moreover, the structures of prodrugs could be diverse in the forms of organic molecules, inorganic clusters, or metal–organic complexes. − Prodrugs can be precisely installed as a part of the monomer before polymerization or the side chain after polymerization by stimulus cleavable bonds . Environmentally sensitive polymeric prodrugs responsive to reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), light, ultrasonic, etc., have been widely used for controlled prodrug release. − To make the most use of PDC capacity, it is feasible to further improve tumor treatment performance with two or more types of responsive prodrugs together for combination medications.…”