Table 2.
Overview of selected nanoparticles that target the breast cancer ECM.
| Application | NPs | Characteristics and functions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degrading the tumor ECM | Gold NPs | Through the interaction between the coated gelatin layer and MMP-2 in the ECM, large-sized gold NPs become smaller, enabling deeper tumor infiltration | (135) |
| Gold NPs combined with MMP-sensitive peptides can be employed in drug delivery and tumor imaging | (136) | ||
| Liposomes with GPLPLR peptide | A GPLPLR peptide sequence modified to target MT1-MMP was more effective in binding and treating tumors than uncoated liposomes | (137) | |
| Collagenase-encapsulated polymers | Released CLG enzyme can specifically degrade collagens, leading to a loosened ECM structure, enhanced tumor perfusion, and less hypoxia | (138) | |
| Simulating tumor ECM | Transformable laminin (LN)-mimic peptide | Efficiently inhibited lung metastasis in breast and melanoma tumor models | (139) |
| Dual-degradable and injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogel | Expression levels of VEGF, IL-8, and bFGF in hydrogel-cultured cells were significantly greater than those in 2D culture | (140) | |
| Intervening the native ECM fabrication | LOXab-NPs | LOXab-NPs are highly specific for tumor targeting in xenograft models | (141) |
| pH-sensitive cleavable liposomes | Depletion of collagen I by PTX-Cl-Lip and the combination of free losartan and PTX-CL-Lip could enhance the antitumor efficacy of chemical drugs | (142) | |
| DOX-AuNPs-GNPs | Pretreatment with losartan significantly decreased collagen levels and improved tumor penetration | (143) |
ECM, extracellular matrix; NPs, nanoparticles; LOXs: lysyl oxidase family; MMP-2, matrix metalloproteinase-2; PTX, paclitaxel; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; IL-8, interleukin 8; FGF, fibroblast growth factor; DOX, doxorubicin.