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Updated: Jul 2, 2025
Preparation and Characterization of Individual and Multi-drug Loaded Physically Entrapped Polymeric Micelles
Published on: August 28, 2015
Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Drug Delivery Based on Polymeric Micelles for Precision Cancer Therapy: Strategies
Zhu Jin1, Majdi Al Amili1, Shengrong Guo1
1Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Abstract:
In clinical practice, drug therapy for cancer is still limited by its inefficiency and high toxicity. For precision therapy, various drug delivery systems, including polymeric micelles self-assembled from amphiphilic polymeric materials, have been developed to achieve tumor-targeting drug delivery. Considering the characteristics of the pathophysiological environment at the drug target site, the design, synthesis, or modification of environmentally responsive polymeric materials has become a crucial strategy for drug-targeted delivery. In comparison to the normal physiological environment, tumors possess a unique microenvironment, characterized by a low pH, high reactive oxygen species concentration, hypoxia, and distinct enzyme systems, providing various stimuli for the environmentally responsive design of polymeric micelles. Polymeric micelles with tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive characteristics have shown significant improvement in precision therapy for cancer treatment. This review mainly outlines the most promising strategies available for exploiting the tumor microenvironment to construct internal stimulus-responsive drug delivery micelles that target tumors and achieve enhanced antitumor efficacy. In addition, the prospects of TME-responsive polymeric micelles for gene therapy and immunotherapy, the most popular current cancer treatments, are also discussed. TME-responsive drug delivery via polymeric micelles will be an efficient and robust approach for developing clinical cancer therapies in the future.
Insights
Tumor microenvironment-responsive polymeric micelles enhance cancer precision therapy by targeting tumors. These advanced drug delivery systems show promise for improved efficacy in gene therapy and immunotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer drug therapy faces limitations in efficiency and toxicity.
- Polymeric micelles offer a strategy for tumor-targeted drug delivery.
- Environmentally responsive materials are key for targeted delivery systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review strategies for constructing tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive polymeric micelles.
- To highlight their role in enhancing precision cancer therapy.
- To discuss their potential in gene therapy and immunotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on TME-responsive polymeric micelles.
- Analysis of TME characteristics (low pH, ROS, hypoxia, enzymes) for stimuli-responsive design.
- Exploration of micelle strategies for enhanced antitumor efficacy.
Main Results:
- TME-responsive polymeric micelles demonstrate significant improvements in precision cancer therapy.
- These micelles effectively target tumors by responding to unique TME stimuli.
- The review outlines promising strategies for their development and application.
Conclusions:
- TME-responsive polymeric micelles are a robust approach for targeted cancer drug delivery.
- They offer enhanced antitumor efficacy and hold potential for future clinical applications.
- Their application in gene therapy and immunotherapy represents a promising frontier.
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