title: Trigger responsive polymeric nanocarriers for cancer therapy.
abstract: Conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer has limited specificity when administered systemically and is often associated with toxicity issues. Enhanced accumulation of polymeric nanocarriers at a tumor site may be achieved by passive and active targeting. Incorporation of trigger responsiveness into these polymeric nanocarriers improves the anticancer efficacy of such systems by modulating the release of the drug according to the tumor environment. Triggers used for tumor targeting include internal triggers such as pH, redox and enzymes and external triggers such as temperature, magnetic field, ultrasound and light. While internal triggers are specific cues of the tumor microenvironment, external triggers are those which are applied externally to control the release. This review highlights the various strategies employed for the preparation of such trigger responsive polymeric nanocarriers for cancer therapy and provides an overview of the state of the art in this field.
authors.affiliation: Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. rinti@iitb.ac.in.
authors.forename: Shahdeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Chandrashekhar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: Biji
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan
authors.forename: Rinti
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Banerjee
mesh_terms: D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011108:Polymers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013696:Temperature; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D011108:Polymers