Stimulus-responsive gold nanotheranostic platforms for targeting the tumor microenvironment

Gold nanoparticles with unique optical and photo-thermal properties have promising application in nanotheranostics, achieving the integration of diagnosis and therapy in a single platform. Compared with normal physiological environment, tumor tissue has a unique and complex tumor microenvironment, which plays a key role in tumor progression, metastasis, angiogenesis and even drug resistance. In recent years, many gold nanotheranostic platforms have been developed to target tumor microenvironment associated with acidic pH, hypoxia, angiogenesis, immune responses, pathological pressure gradients and extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present article, we have given special emphasis on key strategies for gold nanoparticles functionalization and highlighted recent advances in rational design of gold nanotheranostic platforms capable of utilizing, overcoming or modulating tumor microenvironment for effective cancer theranostics. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.