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Updated: Oct 24, 2026

A Comprehensive Procedure to Evaluate the In Vivo Performance of Cancer Nanomedicines
Published on: March 4, 2017
Advanced Nanomedicines for Cancer Metabolic Therapy
Qiu-Yi Duan1, Chun Tian1, Xi Cheng1
1Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Nanocatalytic Medicine, The Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Abnormal metabolic reprogramming is a recognized hallmark of cancer, yet the clinical translation of cancer metabolic therapy (CMT) by conventional chemo-drugs remains a great challenge due to their poor drug targetability, short circulation time, and low bioavailability. Nanomedicines, owing to their great feasibility in rational designs, facile fabrication, and excellent biocompatibility, offer a powerful platform to overcome the drawbacks of current clinical drugs and enable precise modulation of cancer metabolism. In this review, we provide a critical overview of recent advances in nanomedicine-based CMT. We first summarize the reprogrammed metabolic landscape of cancer cells and the metabolic crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment. Then, nanomedicine strategies targeting glucose, lipid, amino acid, nucleotide, and carboxylic acid metabolism are summarized and discussed in a comprehensive way, with an emphasis on nanomaterial design principles and regulatory mechanisms. Finally, key challenges and future prospects for clinical translation are discussed, aiming to establish nanomedicine-enabled CMT as a next-generation paradigm for effective and safe cancer treatment.
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