Breast tumor‐targeted drug delivery via polymer nanocarriers: Endogenous and exogenous strategies

Abstract

AbstractBreast cancer, one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, has a high degree of malignancy while lacking efficient treatments. The off‐target events frequently occurring in drug administration have been a major obstacle, which causes severe side effects to patients and reduces the therapeutic efficacy. An ideal medication should precisely target the specific site with precise control over concentration and duration. In recent years, there has been immense progress in polymer nanocarriers that demonstrate great potential in the targeted delivery. These nanocarriers are constructed from materials sensitive to a wide range of endogenous (e.g., pH, enzyme, redox) and exogenous stimuli (e.g., light, ultrasound, magnetic waves), driving cargo release to the targeted tissue or cells. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of current targeting strategies and the engineering methods to construct these targeting systems or to improve their targeting efficiency. We capture the recent progress in the targeted nanocarriers derived from polymers which span hydrogels and micelles, demonstrating their design and applications in chemo, hyperthermia, immuno, and gene therapies.