Development of tumor-evolution-targeted anticancer therapeutic nanomedicineEVT

Summary

Cancerous tissues are constantly evolving and adapting to their microenvironments, causing various mutations and subclones. In order to treat changing tumors, therapeutic agents and modalities need to be adapted to remain effective. Although increasing attention has been devoted to the use of nanomaterials as diagnostic tools or drug-delivery systems, current studies are not taking the evolving nature of tumors into consideration, drastically limiting the clinical potential of nanomaterials. Herein, we report and critically discuss strategies for designing unique nanoparticle formulations that are possibly able to target and eradicate evolving tumors. Being superior to molecular therapeutic agents, nanomaterials are particularly suited to targeting evolving tumors according to their facile tunability, tumor-targeting properties, and multitude of possible therapeutic mechanisms of action. This new concept could pave the way toward the development of a new generation of nanomaterials as therapeutic agents for evolving tumors.