The Smart Dual-Stimuli Responsive Nanoparticles for Controlled Anti-Tumor Drug Release and Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the emergence of stimuli-responsive nanoparticles has made drug delivery more efficient. As an intelligent and effective targeted delivery platform, it can reduce the side effects generated during drug transportation while enhancing the treatment efficacy. The stimuli-responsive nanoparticles can respond to different stimuli at corresponding times and locations to deliver and release their drugs and associated therapeutic effects. Objective: This review aims to inform researchers on the latest advances in the application of dual-stimuli responsive nanoparticles in precise drug delivery, with special attention to their design, drug release properties, and therapeutic effects. Syntheses of nanoparticles with simultaneous or sequential responses to two or more stimuli (pH-redox, pH-light, redox-light, temperature-magnetic, pH-redox-temperature, redox-enzyme-light, etc.) and the applications of such responsivity properties for drugs control and release have become a hot topic of recent research. Methods: A database of relevant information for the production of this review was sourced, screened and analyzed from Pubmed, Web of Science, SciFinder by searching for the following keywords: “dual-stimuli responsive”, “controlled release”, “cancer therapy”, “synergistic treatment”. Results: Notably, the nanoparticles with dual-stimuli responsive function have an excellent control effect on drug delivery and release, playing a crucial part in the treatment of tumors. They can improve the encapsulation and delivery efficiency of hydrophobic chemotherapy drugs, combine chemo-photothermal therapies, apply imaging function in the diagnosis of tumors and even conduct multi-drug delivery to overcome Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR). Conclusion: With the development of smart dual-stimuli responsive nanoparticles, cancer treatment methods have become more diverse and effective. All the stimuli-responsive nanoparticles functionalities exhibit their characteristics individually within the single nanosystem.