Tumor extracellular acidity-activated nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for enhanced cancer therapy.
pH-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) are currently under intense development as drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Among various pH-responsiveness, NPs that are designed to target slightly acidic extracellular pH environment (pHe) of solid tumors provide a new paradigm of tumor targeted drug delivery. Compared to conventional specific surface targeting approaches, the pHe-targeting strategy is considered to be more general due to the common occurrence of acidic microenvironment in solid tumors. This review mainly focuses on the design and applications of pHe-activated NPs, with special emphasis on pHe-activated surface charge reversal NPs, for drug and siRNA delivery to tumors. The novel development of NPs described here offers great potential for achieving better therapeutic effects in cancer treatment.
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China.
Jin-Zhi
JZ
Du
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China.
Cheng-Qiong
CQ
Mao
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China.
You-Yong
YY
Yuan
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China.
Xian-Zhu
XZ
Yang
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, PR China. Electronic address: jwang699@ustc.edu.cn.
Jun
J
Wang
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004705:Endocytosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D051379:Mice; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D013499:Surface Properties
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering
Cancer therapy; Drug delivery; Nanoparticles; Surface charge reversal; Tumor extracellular acidity responsive