Redox-Responsive Delivery System for Cancer Treatment

Cancer is a complex, multidimensional disease and persists as a leading factor responsible for worldwide mortality. Despite significant advancements in oncological research and treatment throughout the world, there are still requirements and demands for more efficient, target-specific drug delivery systems. Traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation are typically nonspecific and might cause side effects. Consequently, the progress of targeted medication carrier systems has become a main focus in modern cancer treatment. Components that respond to specific stimulating factors are at the forefront of the innovation of targeted drug delivery for cancer treatment. Stimuli-sensitive drug carrier systems can be activated by various stimuli, including pH, temperature, redox and enzymes. Among these systems, redox-responsive nanocarriers have drawn substantial interest by virtue of their ability to utilize the redox potential of the tumor microenvironment. These nanocarriers undergo chemical modification in response to redox potential, which leads to the release of therapeutic agents at the tumor site, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of cancer treatment. This chapter will focus on the importance of redox potential in the tumor microenvironment and different redox-responsive materials with various delivery systems in detail.