癌症是对人类健康的重大威胁,传统化疗药物的使用受到其严重副作用的限制。肿瘤靶向纳米载体已经成为解决这一问题的一种有希望的解决方案,因为它们可以将药物直接输送到肿瘤部位,提高药物的有效性,减少不良反应。然而,大多数纳米药物的功效受到实体瘤渗透不良的阻碍。纳米马达,能够将各种形式的能量转化为机械能进行自我推进运动,为增强向深部肿瘤区域的药物输送提供了潜在的解决方案。外力驱动的纳米马达,比如那些由磁场或超声波驱动的,提供精确的控制,但往往需要笨重和昂贵的外部设备。生物驱动的纳米电机,由精子推动,巨噬细胞,或细菌,利用生物分子进行自我推进,非常适合生理环境。然而,它们受到有限寿命的限制,速度不足,和潜在的免疫反应。为了解决这些问题,纳米马达已经被设计成通过在肿瘤微环境中催化内在的“燃料”来推动自身向前发展。这种机制有助于它们穿透生物屏障,允许它们到达深部肿瘤区域进行靶向药物递送。在这方面,本文综述了肿瘤微环境可激活的纳米马达(以过氧化氢为燃料,尿素,精氨酸),并讨论了他们在临床翻译中的前景和挑战,旨在为安全提供新的见解,高效,和癌症治疗中的精确治疗。
Cancer represents a significant threat to human health, with the use of traditional chemotherapy drugs being limited by their harsh side effects. Tumor-targeted nanocarriers have emerged as a promising solution to this problem, as they can deliver drugs directly to the tumor site, improving drug effectiveness and reducing adverse effects. However, the efficacy of most nanomedicines is hindered by poor penetration into solid tumors.
Nanomotors, capable of converting various forms of energy into mechanical energy for self-propelled movement, offer a potential solution for enhancing drug delivery to deep tumor regions. External force-driven
nanomotors, such as those powered by magnetic fields or ultrasound, provide precise control but often necessitate bulky and costly external equipment. Bio-driven
nanomotors, propelled by sperm, macrophages, or bacteria, utilize biological molecules for self-propulsion and are well-suited to the physiological environment. However, they are constrained by limited lifespan, inadequate speed, and potential immune responses. To address these issues,
nanomotors have been engineered to propel themselves forward by catalyzing intrinsic \"fuel\" in the tumor microenvironment. This mechanism facilitates their penetration through biological barriers, allowing them to reach deep tumor regions for targeted drug delivery. In this regard, this article provides a review of tumor microenvironment-activatable
nanomotors (fueled by hydrogen peroxide, urea, arginine), and discusses their prospects and challenges in clinical translation, aiming to offer new insights for safe, efficient, and precise treatment in cancer therapy.