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. 2022 Nov 15;16(2):2660–2671. doi: 10.1007/s12274-022-5002-2

Recent advances of bioresponsive polymeric nanomedicine for cancer therapy

Tu Hong 1,#, Xinyuan Shen 2,#, Madiha Zahra Syeda 1,#, Yang Zhang 2, Haonan Sheng 2, Yipeng Zhou 3, JinMing Xu 4, Chaojie Zhu 2,6, Hongjun Li 2,5,6,✉, Zhen Gu 2,5,7,8,9,✉, Longguang Tang 1,✉
PMCID: PMC9664041  PMID: 36405982

Abstract

A bioresponsive polymeric nanocarrier for drug delivery is able to alter its physical and physicochemical properties in response to a variety of biological signals and pathological changes, and can exert its therapeutic efficacy within a confined space. These nanosystems can optimize the biodistribution and subcellular location of therapeutics by exploiting the differences in biochemical properties between tumors and normal tissues. Moreover, bioresponsive polymer-based nanosystems could be rationally designed as precision therapeutic platforms by optimizing the combination of responsive elements and therapeutic components according to the patient-specific disease type and stage. In this review, recent advances in smart bioresponsive polymeric nanosystems for cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy will be summarized. We mainly discuss three categories, including acidity-sensitive, redox-responsive, and enzyme-triggered polymeric nanosystems. The important issues regarding clinical translation such as reproducibility, manufacture, and probable toxicity, are also commented.

graphic file with name 12274_2022_5002_Fig1_HTML.jpg

Keywords: drug delivery, polymer, bioresponsive, immunotherapy, cancer therapy

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2021YFA0909900), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52173142), Zhejiang Provincial Program for the Cultivation of High-Level Innovative Health Talents, and the grants from the Startup Package of Zhejiang University.

Footnotes

Tu Hong, Xinyuan Shen, and Madiha Zahra Syeda contributed equally to this work.

Contributor Information

Hongjun Li, Email: hongjun@zju.edu.cn.

Zhen Gu, Email: guzhen@zju.edu.cn.

Longguang Tang, Email: tanglongguang@zju.edu.cn.

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