Recent Development of pH-Responsive Polymers for Cancer Nanomedicine

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cancer is a leading global cause of death, with over 10 million new cases annually.
• Tumor-targeted nanomedicines enhance anticancer agent efficacy, overcoming conventional chemotherapy limitations.
• Tumor tissues exhibit lower pH than healthy tissues, making pH-responsive nanomaterials a key strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review pH-responsive polymers for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• To summarize polymer types, structures, and pH-response mechanisms.
• To guide the rational design of advanced pH-responsive nanomaterials.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of pH-responsive polymers.
• Analysis of chemical structures and pH-response mechanisms.
• Illustration of structure-property relationships and design regulation approaches.

Main Results:

• Overview of diverse pH-responsive polymer types and their mechanisms.
• Detailed structure-property relationships and design strategies.
• Highlighting representative applications in cancer imaging and therapy.

Conclusions:

• pH-responsive polymers are crucial for targeted cancer nanomedicine.
• Understanding their design and behavior is key to developing effective treatments.
• This review provides guidelines for future nanomaterial development in oncology.