Enzyme-responsive smart nanocarriers for targeted chemotherapy: an overview

Nanocarriers play pivotal roles in the field of biomedical applications, particularly in anticancer therapy. One of the prominent strategies for the transport of anticancer drugs with site-specific release and improved therapeutic efficacy is the use of an enzyme-responsive drug delivery system. There is an emerging class of cancer therapeutics engineered to control the release of a drug via enzymatic degradation. Enzymes, being an essential component of bio-nanotechnology toolbox, hold exceptional biorecognition abilities as well as outstanding catalytic properties. Often, abnormal enzyme expression observed in cancer offers many opportunities in designing nanocarriers modified with enzyme-labile linkage. Through altered physical or chemical characteristics of these nanocarriers or cleavage of the drug in response to the bio-action of enzyme, an ondemand drug release can be obtained. In this review, several classes of enzymes performing critical roles in cancer such as hydrolases, lipases, and oxidoreductases are summarized. Insights on various approaches that interfere with the mechanism of these enzymes have also been included. Finally, various smart nanocarriers such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, carbon-nanotubes, micelles, liposomes, and dendrimers serving as excellent platforms for enzyme-responsive formulations have been discussed.

Automated summary

Nanocarriers play crucial roles in biomedical applications, especially in anticancer therapy where enzyme-responsive drug delivery systems have shown promise in achieving site-specific release and improved therapeutic efficacy. In cancer, abnormal enzyme expression presents opportunities for designing nanocarriers modified with enzyme-labile linkage to control drug release. Various smart nanocarriers like mesoporous silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, micelles, liposomes, and dendrimers have been discussed as excellent platforms for enzyme-responsive formulations.