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Published on: September 22, 2023
Tumor microenvironment as a target for developing anticancer hydrogels
Suman Khurana1,2, Shrestha Sharma1, Parveen Kumar Goyal2
1Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India.
Objective:
It has been reported that cancer cells get protected by a complex and rich multicellular environment i.e. the tumor microenvironment (TME) consisting of varying immune cells, endothelial cells, dendritic cells, fibroblasts, etc. This manuscript is aimed at the characteristic features of TME considered as potential target(s) for developing smart anticancer hydrogels.
Significance:
The stimuli-specific drug delivery systems especially hydrogels that can respond to the characteristic features of TME are fabricated for treating cancer. For developing anticancer formulations, TME targeting can be considered an alternative way as it enhances the cytotoxic potential and reduces the unwanted effects. This manuscript shall be of quite interest to academicians, researchers, and clinicians engaged in oncology.
Methods:
The manuscript was prepared by using the data available in the public domain in online resources such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Research Gate, etc.
Results:
Smart hydrogels, sensitive to some specific features of TME such as low pH, high concentration of glutathione, specific enzymes, etc., are promising anticancer formulations as these improve the efficacy and lower the side effects of chemotherapy.
Conclusion:
The stimuli-responsive hydrogels have been gaining more attention for delivering cytotoxic drugs to the TME in response to specific stimuli. The stimuli-responsive hydrogels, comprising of cytotoxic drug(s) and specific polymers have some special features such as similarity with biological matrix, ability to respond to various internal as well as external stimuli, improved permeability, porosity, biocompatibility, resemblance with soft living tissues, etc.; and are considered as the promising anticancer candidates.
Insights
Smart hydrogels targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME) offer a novel approach to cancer treatment. These stimuli-responsive formulations enhance drug efficacy and reduce side effects by responding to TME-specific features.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer cells are protected by the complex tumor microenvironment (TME).
- The TME comprises diverse cells like immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts.
- Targeting TME features is a novel strategy for anticancer drug development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review characteristic features of the TME as targets for smart anticancer hydrogels.
- To explore stimuli-responsive hydrogels for targeted cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Literature review using public domain data from online resources (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, etc.).
Main Results:
- Smart hydrogels sensitive to TME features (low pH, glutathione, enzymes) are promising anticancer formulations.
- These hydrogels improve chemotherapy efficacy and reduce side effects.
Conclusions:
- Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are gaining attention for targeted drug delivery to the TME.
- Hydrogels offer biocompatibility, stimuli-responsiveness, and improved drug delivery for cancer treatment.
