Recent Advancements of Nanotechnology-Based Strategies for Overcoming Tumor Microenvironment Hypoxia

Abstract

Hypoxia is a typical characteristic of most solid malignancies, which has multiple effects on malignant phenotypes and biological behaviors of tumors including epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT), invasion, migration, metastasis, autophagy, stem cell maintenance, pathological angiogenesis, drug resistance, and immunosuppression. Rcentlyumoand reversing the tumor hypoxic environment via nanotechnology has emerged as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignancies. The main strategies related to nanotechnology to alleviate or ameliorate hypoxic environment are as follows: (1) Bringing external oxygen to tumor hypoxic microenvironment; (2) Generating oxygen based on nanotechnology in situ; (3) Regulating the structure of the tumor microenvironment; (4) Decreasing oxygen consumption in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we will discuss these nanotechnologies in detail.

Keywords

• nanotechnology
• tumor microenvironment
• hypoxia
• metal-organic frameworks
• photodynamic therapy