Tumor microenvironment-responsive size-switchable drug delivery nanosystems

Introduction Compared with ordinary chemotherapeutic drugs, the variable-size nanoparticles (NPs) have better therapeutic effects and fewer side effects. Areas covered This review mainly summarizes the strategies used to construct smart, size-tunable nanocarriers based on characteristic factors of tumor microenvironment (TME) to dramatically increase the penetration and retention of drugs within tumors. Expert opinion Nanosystems with changeable sizes based on the TME have been extensively studied in the past decade, and their permeability and retention have been greatly improved, making them a very promising treatment for tumors.

Automated summary

This review summarizes the strategies for constructing smart, size-tunable nanocarriers based on the characteristic factors of the tumor microenvironment (TME) to enhance the penetration and retention of drugs within tumors.