New advances in gated materials of mesoporous silica for drug controlled release

Drug delivery systems (DDS) are used to deliver therapeutic drugs to improve selectivity and reduce side effects. With the development of nanotechnology, many nanocarriers have been developed and applied to drug delivery, including mesoporous silica. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have attracted a lot of attention for simple synthesis, biocompatibility, high surface area and pore volume. Based on the pore system and surface modification, gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles can be designed to realize on-command drug release, which provides a new approach for selective delivery of antitumor drugs. Herein, this review mainly focuses on the “gate keepers” of mesoporous silica for drug controlled release in nearly few years (2017–2020). We summarize the mechanism of drug controlled release in gated MSNs and different gated materials: inorganic gated materials, organic gated materials, self-gated drug molecules, and biological membranes. The facing challenges and future prospects of gated MSNs are discussed rationally in the end.