Recent progress in hyaluronic acid based nanoparticles for the anti-tumor application

Traditional nano-carriers used for anti-tumor applications primarily rely on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect to achieve effective drug release and cancer therapy. However, the passive targeting mechanism of these nano-carriers often results in inadequate accumulation and unsatisfied therapeutic efficacy in tumor tissues. Therefore, the development of active targeting nano-carriers for improved therapeutic outcomes has emerged as the major focus in the anti-tumor field. Notably, hyaluronic acid (HA), as a type of natural functional biomacromolecule, has gained significant attention for its remarkable water-solubility, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and CD44-receptor mediated active targeting properties. Consequently, HA has been developed as one potential candidate for the construction of nanoparticles for drug delivery, particularly in the active targeting cancer therapy field. This paper provides a comprehensive summary of the modification of HA, HA-based nano-carriers and their applications, including chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, chemodynamic therapy, and combined therapy. The different therapeutic mechanisms and recent advancements in HA-based nano-carriers are discussed. Additionally, based on the progress of HA-based nanoparticles, the research trends in this area are also anticipated. Overall, this paper exhibits the potential of HA-based nano-carriers in active targeting cancer therapy and provides insights into their applications and future directions in the field.