Nanomaterials Based on Functional Polymers for Sensitizing Cancer Radiotherapy

Abstract Despite being the mainstay treatment for many types of cancer in clinic, radiotherapy is undertaking great challenges in overcoming a series of limitations. Radiosensitizers are promising agents capable of depositing irradiation energy and generating free radicals to enhance the radiosensitivity of tumor cells. Combining radiosensitizers with functional polymer‐based nanomaterials holds great potential to improve biodistribution, circulation time, and stability in vivo. The derived polymeric nano‐radiosensitizers can significantly improve the efficiency of tumor targeting and radiotherapy, and reduce the side effect to healthy tissues. In this review, an overview of functional polymer‐based nanomaterials for radiosensitization in recent years is provided. Particular emphases are given to the action mechanisms, drug loading methods, targeting efficiencies, the impact on therapeutic effects, and biocompatibility of various radiosensitizing polymers, which are classified as polymeric micelles, dendrimers, polymeric nanospheres, nanoscale coordination polymers, polymersomes, and nanogels. The challenges and outlooks of polymeric nano‐radiosensitizers are also discussed.