Advance of the application of seaweed polysaccharides on antitumor drug delivery systems

In recent years, the morbidity and death rate of patients with tumors have been continuously increasing. How to administer radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other methods for reducing damage to normal tissue cells and accurately targeting the tumor is one of the key issues in solving the problem of cancer. Using nanocarriers is a feasible approach into targeted control on the release of medicine to increase patient compliance. Nowadays, many researchers are gradually focusing on the application of drug delivery systems with natural ingredients as carriers in tumor therapy. At the same time, natural active ingredients may have better biocompatibility and fewer side effects. Especially, a variety of polysaccharides from algae has exhibited antitumor activity, providing greater possibilities for their use as drug delivery carriers. To facilitate the advancement and clinical translation of algae-derived polysaccharides in medical applications, we summarized the structural features of a range of polysaccharides extracted from macroalgae, their physical properties suitable for use as carriers, and the ways they are utilized in delivering medicines in oncology therapy (particularly in combination with novel oncology therapies, such as immunotherapy and photothermal therapy).