Activated aggregation strategies to construct size-increasing nanoparticles for cancer therapy

Area of Science:

• Oncologic Disease Nanomedicine
• Drug Discovery and Therapeutic Approaches

Background:

• Solid tumors present challenges for drug delivery due to poor drug permeability and short residence times.
• Current nanomedicine approaches often face a trade-off between nanoparticle size, residence time, and tumor penetration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in activatable aggregation systems for cancer therapy.
• To classify these systems based on their aggregation mechanisms.
• To discuss potential future challenges in this field.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recently reported activatable aggregation systems for cancer therapy.
• Classification of systems based on aggregation mechanisms triggered by cancer-related substances.
• Analysis of strategies to increase nanoparticle size within solid tumors.

Main Results:

• Activatable aggregation systems offer a promising approach to overcome drug delivery limitations in solid tumors.
• These systems can be designed to increase nanoparticle size in situ, enhancing retention time.
• Various aggregation mechanisms activated by tumor-specific cues have been reported.

Conclusions:

• Activatable aggregation systems represent a significant development in nanomedicine for enhanced cancer therapy.
• Further research is needed to address challenges related to system design, activation, and clinical translation.
• Optimizing size-increasing strategies is crucial for improving therapeutic outcomes in oncology.