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Updated: May 9, 2026

Polymalic Acid-based Nano Biopolymers for Targeting of Multiple Tumor Markers: An Opportunity for Personalized Medicine?
Published on: June 13, 2014
Tumor extracellular acidity-activated nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for enhanced cancer therapy
Jin-Zhi Du1, Cheng-Qiong Mao2, You-Yong Yuan2
1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China.
Abstract:
pH-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) are currently under intense development as drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Among various pH-responsiveness, NPs that are designed to target slightly acidic extracellular pH environment (pHe) of solid tumors provide a new paradigm of tumor targeted drug delivery. Compared to conventional specific surface targeting approaches, the pHe-targeting strategy is considered to be more general due to the common occurrence of acidic microenvironment in solid tumors. This review mainly focuses on the design and applications of pHe-activated NPs, with special emphasis on pHe-activated surface charge reversal NPs, for drug and siRNA delivery to tumors. The novel development of NPs described here offers great potential for achieving better therapeutic effects in cancer treatment.
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