Stimuli Responsive Nanoparticles for Anti-Cancer Therapy

Cancer is one of the deadliest threats to human health. Physiochemical conditions in the tumor microenvironment play a significant role in modulating cancer cells to evade or defend conventional anti-cancer therapy. With the advent of nanotechnology in biology and medicine, a new field of medicine, known as nanomedicine, has been introduced for combating tumors which were resistant to traditional anti-tumor therapy, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy . The physiochemical-biological properties of tumor microenvironments have led to the development of various tumor microenvironment- responsive nanomedicines.

One of the major challenges for the use of these cancer nanomedicines is their delivery to the solid tumor. Over the past few decades, various kinds of stimuli-responsive polymers and nanoparticles have been developed which are capable of inducing dramatic change in their physicochemical properties. The difference between extracellular and intracellular environments in cancer and normal cells provides a promising basis to develop stimuli responsive nanoparticles to combat tumors. Such nanoparticles are responsive to both internal and external stimuli. Internal stimuli, such as pH, glutathione, reactive oxygen species, hypoxia and external stimuli, such as light, ultrasound, magnetic field and heat induced cell death, could be utilized for the development of stimuli responsive anti-cancer nanoparticles. These type of nanoparticles offer a universal approach for anti-cancer therapy as their responsiveness depends on the general physiological properties commonly found in all tumors.

We welcome Original Research articles, Review articles as well as Short Communications in this Research Topic.
The main theme of this Research Topic is to address the current advances in the stimuli-responsive nanoparticles for anti-cancer therapy with special focus on the following areas:

• Tumor microenvironment responsive nanoparticles;
- pH,
- Redox,
- Hypoxia
- Enzyme
• Pro-drug systems
• Locoregional photothermal therapy
• Locoregional photodynamic therapy
• Alternate magnetic field
• Stimuli responsive Immunotherapy
• Combinational therapy
• Scaffolds or hydrogels with stimuli responsive properties consisting of nanoparticles