title: Hypoxia Responsive Drug Delivery Systems in Tumor Therapy.
abstract: Hypoxia is a common characteristic of solid tumors. It is mainly determined by low levels of oxygen resulting from imperfect vascular networks supplying most tumors. In an attempt to improve the present chemotherapeutic treatment and reduce associated side effects, several prodrug strategies have been introduced to achieve hypoxia-specific delivery of cytotoxic anticancer agents. With the advances in nanotechnology, novel delivery systems activated by the consequent outcomes of hypoxia have been developed. However, developing hypoxia responsive drug delivery systems (which only depend on low oxygen levels) is currently naïve. This review discusses four main hypoxia responsive delivery systems: polymeric based drug delivery systems, oxygen delivery systems combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, anaerobic bacteria which are used for delivery of genes to express anticancer proteins such as tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α) and hypoxia-inducible transcription factors 1 alpha (HIF1α) responsive gene delivery systems.
authors.forename: Houman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alimoradi
authors.forename: Siddharth S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Matikonda
authors.forename: Allan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Gamble
authors.forename: Gregory I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago, Adams Building, 3rd Floor, 18 Frederick street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand. khaledfg@agu.edu.bh.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Greish
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011355:Prodrugs