Skip to main content

Table 3 List of representative hypoxia-responsive NCs [112]

From: Nanocarrier cancer therapeutics with functional stimuli-responsive mechanisms

Nanocarriers

Magnetic-responsive strategy/materials

Cargos

Applications

Liposomes

The prodrug of banoxantrone dihydrochloride (AQ4N) could be activated in hypoxic environment caused by PDT

Ce6, AQ4N

Cancer therapy

Silica nanoquencher

Azo monomer; cell-penetrating poly(disulfide)s (CPD) coated silica nanoquencher (BS-qNP) (CPD-protein@BS-qNP)

Antibody (Cetuximab), fluorescent dye

Hypoxia-triggered protein release and fluorescence imaging

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)

Oxygen indicator [Ru(dpp)3]2+Cl2 for hypoxia detection as UCNPs provided the excitation light of [Ru(dpp)3]2+Cl2 by upconversion process at 980 nm

[Ru(dpp)3]2+Cl2, UCNPs

Imaging hypoxic regions or oxygen changes in cells and zebrafish

Nanoparticles

The photosensitizer of ICG-mediated PTT induced hypoxia, which then activated the prodrug of TPZ

TPZ, ICG

Tumor therapy by PDT and chemotherapy

Nanoparticles

The shift from hydrophobic to hydrophilic of 2-nitroimidazole that grafted to polymers in light-activated hypoxia

Doxorubicin, light-sensitive polymer

Hypoxia-triggered drug release, tumor

Nanoparticles

PEG-azo(azobenzene)-PEI-DOPE block copolymer

siRNA

siRNA delivery and tumor RNAi

Nanoparticles

Layer-by-layer nanoparticles with a pH-sensitive layer for targeting of tumor hypoxia

Sulfonated polystyrene beads or carboxylated quantum dots

Systemic tumor targeting

Cancer cell membrane coated MOFs

The porphyrinic MOFs could generate toxic ROS for PDT and cause hypoxic regions for activating TPZ

Porphyrinic metal organic framework, TPZ

Tumor targeted PDT and chemotherapy

Nanovesicles

The light irradiation of Ce6 induced hypoxia for oxidation bioreduction of 2-nitroimidazole in polymers and activation of TPZ

Ce6, TPZ

Tumor fluorescence imaging and therapy

Polymeric micelles

The metronidazole (MN) grafted in polymers could change hydrophobicity in hypoxic conditions for drug release

Doxorubicin

Tumor chemotherapy and radiotherapy

Polymersomes

The PLA (polylactic acid)-azobenzene-PEG is sensitive to hypoxia

Gemcitabine, hypoxia-sensitive dye “Image-iT”

Tumor imaging and drug delivery

Albumin nanoparticles

With hypoxia-sensitive azobenzene linker to covalently bridge photosensitizer Ce6-conjugated HSA and oxaliplatin prodrug-conjugated HSA

Oxaliplatin prodrug, Ce6

Tumor chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles

The Ce6-dopped mesoporous silica nanoparticles were decorated with PEG and glycol chitosan by hypoxia-sensitive azobenzene linker

Oligonucleotide (CpG), Ce6

Cancer immunotherapy

Solid-state sensors

Iodide-substituted difluoroboron dibenzoylmethane-poly(lactic acid) [BF2dbm(I)PLA] solid-state sensor material

BF2dbm(I)PLA

Tumor hypoxia optical imaging

Polymeric probes

Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-conjugated iridium-(III) complex (Ir-PVP) and poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PCL-PVP) nanoparticles

Iridium (III) complex

Optical imaging of tumor and metastasis

Polymer hybrid CaP nanoparticles

Tumor pH-triggered release of Mn2+ from CaP to boost higher contrast enhancement in hypoxic tumor regions

Mn2+

MR imaging of solid tumors, hypoxia and metastasis