Review
Version 1
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Stimulus Responsive Hydrogels for Targeted Cancer Therapy
Version 1
: Received: 13 June 2024 / Approved: 13 June 2024 / Online: 14 June 2024 (15:00:04 CEST)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Solanki, R.; Bhatia, D. Stimulus-Responsive Hydrogels for Targeted Cancer Therapy. Gels 2024, 10, 440. Solanki, R.; Bhatia, D. Stimulus-Responsive Hydrogels for Targeted Cancer Therapy. Gels 2024, 10, 440.
Abstract
Cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease and remains a global health challenge affecting millions of human lives worldwide. Despite advancements in conventional treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, the rise of multidrug resistance, tumor recurrence, and severe side effects necessitates innovative therapeutic approaches. The complex nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME) further compromises the efficacy of traditional chemotherapy drugs. Recently, stimulus-responsive nanomedicines designed to target TME characteristics (e.g., pH, redox, enzymes) have gained attention for their potential to enhance anticancer efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. Among various nanocarriers, hydrogels are an interesting class of nanocarriers used in cancer therapy due to their high water content, adjustable mechanical characteristics, and ability to respond to external/internal stimuli. These properties make hydrogels an ideal nanocarrier for controlled drug release within the TME. This review comprehensively surveys the latest advancements in stimulus-responsive hydrogels for cancer therapy, exploring various stimuli-responsive mechanisms, including biological (e.g., pH, redox), chemical (e.g., enzymes, glucose), and physical (e.g., temperature, light), as well as dual- or multi-stimuli responsiveness. This review will offer novel perspectives on the development of stimulus-responsive hydrogels for cancer therapy.
Keywords
Hydrogels; Stmuli-responsive; Drug delivery; Cancer
Subject
Chemistry and Materials Science, Biomaterials
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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