Enzyme-based nanomedicine for tumor microenvironment modulation in cancer therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Therapy

Background:

• The tumor microenvironment (TME) presents significant biochemical and biophysical barriers, including abnormal vasculature, metabolic reprogramming, redox imbalance, and immunosuppression.
• These barriers impede drug delivery, promote tumor progression, and limit the effectiveness of conventional cancer treatments.
• Enzyme-based nanomedicine presents a novel catalytic approach to address these TME challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review enzyme-based nanomedicine strategies for modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME).
• To discuss enzyme-loaded nanoparticles and enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials (nanozymes) as platforms for TME modulation.
• To highlight the role of material design in optimizing enzyme stability, delivery, and biological activity within the TME.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on enzyme-based nanomedicine targeting the TME.
• Discussion of two primary platforms: enzyme-loaded nanoparticles and nanozymes.
• Analysis of how material design influences enzyme properties and therapeutic outcomes, focusing on redox and metabolic modulation.

Main Results:

• Enzyme-based nanomedicine can effectively modulate TME features, including redox balance and metabolic pathways.
• Material design is crucial for enhancing enzyme stability, tumor targeting, and catalytic activity.
• Applications in extracellular matrix remodeling and immune modulation show potential for improving drug penetration and immunotherapy efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Enzyme-based nanomedicine offers a promising strategy to overcome TME-mediated therapeutic resistance.
• Careful consideration of material design and catalytic function is essential for successful translation.
• Addressing translational challenges like specificity, delivery, and safety is key to realizing the full potential of enzyme-based nanomedicine in cancer therapy.