Table 4.
Examples of stimuli-responsive nanotherapeutics
| Stimulus factor | Nanoformulation | Active compound | Tested cancer cell lines | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMF | Iron oxide/gold nanoparticles | DNA | Human cervical HeLa cells | [218] |
| GSH | PEGylated, RGD-modified, and DSPEIs-functionalized gold nanorods | shRNA | Human glioblastoma U-87 MG-GFP cells | [219] |
| GSH | mPEGylated PLA-conjugated micelles | Curcumin | Human cervical HeLa cells | [220] |
| Light | Bridged silsesquioxane nanoparticles | Plasmid DNA | Human cervical HeLa cells | [221] |
| Light | Micelles | Cisplatin prodrug and cyanine dye (Cypate) | Cisplatin-resistant lung cancer A549 cells | [222] |
| Light/pH | Chitosan derivative-coated CNTs encapsulated in nanogel | Doxorubicin | Human cervical HeLa cells | [223] |
| pH | mPEGylated PLGA-P-Glutamic acid nanoparticles | Doxorubicin | Lung cancer NCI-H460 cells, breast cancer MCF-7 cells | [224] |
| pH | Multifunctional amphiphilic block copolymer containing cyclic orthoester and galactose groups | Doxorubicin | Liver hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells | [225] |
| pH | Porous bowl-like PLA-modified MSNs | Doxorubicin | Gastric cancer HGC-27 cells | [226] |
| pH/GSH | Multi-layered nanocomplexes | Doxorubicin, siRNA | Human hepatocarcinoma QGY-7703 cells | [227] |
Multifunctional “smart” nanoparticles carrying drugs targeted preferentially to the cancer cells will lead to development of better treatment for patients with cancer