Frontiers in Pharmacology (Mar 2023)

Nanotechnological strategies to increase the oxygen content of the tumor

  • Junjie Zhang,
  • Kaiyuan Tang,
  • Runqi Fang,
  • Jiaming Liu,
  • Ming Liu,
  • Jiayi Ma,
  • Hui Wang,
  • Meng Ding,
  • Xiaoxiao Wang,
  • Yanni Song,
  • Dongliang Yang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1140362
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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Hypoxia is a negative prognostic indicator of solid tumors, which not only changes the survival state of tumors and increases their invasiveness but also remarkably reduces the sensitivity of tumors to treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. Thus, developing therapeutic strategies to alleviate tumor hypoxia has recently been considered an extremely valuable target in oncology. In this review, nanotechnological strategies to elevate oxygen levels in tumor therapy in recent years are summarized, including (I) improving the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, (II) oxygen delivery to hypoxic tumors, and (III) oxygen generation in hypoxic tumors. Finally, the challenges and prospects of these nanotechnological strategies for alleviating tumor hypoxia are presented.

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