Spurred by significant progress in materials chemistry and drug delivery, charge-reversal nanocarriers are being developed to deliver anticancer formulations in spatial-, temporal- and dosage-controlled approaches. Charge-reversal nanoparticles can release their drug payload in response to specific stimuli that alter the charge on their surface. They can elude clearance from the circulation and be activated by protonation, enzymatic cleavage, or a molecular conformational change. In this review, we discuss the physiological basis for, and recent advances in the design of charge-reversal nanoparticles that are able to control drug biodistribution in response to specific stimuli, endogenous factors (changes in pH, redox gradients, or enzyme concentration) or exogenous factors (light or thermos-stimulation).
Keywords: Abs, integrin aVb3 mAbs; B-PDEAEA, poly[(2-acryloyl) ethyl (p-boronic acid benzyl) diethylammonium bromide]; BPS, bridged polysilsesquioxanexerogel; BSA, bovine serum albumin; CA4, combretastatin A4; CAPL, charge reversible pullulan-based; CHPNH2, cationic cholesteryl group–bearing pullulans; CMC, carboxymethyl cellulose; CPLAs, cationic polylactides; Cancer therapy; Charge-reversal nanoparticles; Cit, citraconic anhydride; Cya, cysteamine hydrochloride; DAP, 2,3-diamino-propionate; DCL, dimethyl maleamidic acid-ε-caprolactone; DDS, drug delivery system; DM, dimyristeroyl; DMA, 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride; DMPA, dimethylol propionic acid; DOX, doxorubicin; Drug delivery carriers; FITC, fluorescein isothiocyanate; GO, graphene oxide; GSH, glutathione; Glu, glutamic acid; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HEP, 1,4-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) piperazine; HMP, p-hydroxylmethylenephenol; His, histidine; MG, microgels; MMPs, matrix metalloproteinases; MNP, magnetic nanoparticles; NPs, nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; PAEP, poly(allyl ethylene phosphate); PAH, poly(allylamine) hydrochloride; PBAE, poly(β-amino ester); PCL, poly(ε-caprolactone); PDADMAC, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride); PEG, polyethylene glycol; PEI, polyethylenimine; PEO, poly(ethylene oxide); PK, protein kinase; PLA, ploylactic acid; PLGA, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid); PLL, poly(l-lysine); PMA, poly(methacrylic acid); PS, pH sensitive; PSS, poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate); PSSS, poly(styrene-co-4-styrene-sulfonate); PTX, paclitaxel; PU, polyurethane; PVPON, poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone); ROS, reactive oxygen species; SOD, superoxide dismutase; Stimuli responsive; TMA, 2-(mercaptoethyl) trimethylammonium chloride; TUNA, thioundecyl-tetraethyleneglycolester-o-nitrobenzy-lethyldimethyl ammonium bromide; pA-F, fluorescein-labeled polyanion.