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Beyond mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (MONs) have been becoming an even more attractive alternative to the traditional organic or inorganic nanomaterials in biomedical applications, especially for drug delivery, due to its high surface area, stable physicochemical properties, low toxicity, high biocompatibility, and particularly the devisable features decided by the incorporated organic fragments. However, it is still challenging to fabricate uniform ultrasmall MONs with tunable composition, morphology and fine biodegradability. Herein, we report, on the large-scale fabrication of monodispersed and molecularly organic-inorganic hybrid MONs with framework-incorporated physiologically active thioether bonds, controllable nanostructure, composition and morphology, which provides the material foundation for exploring the versatile biomedical applications of organosilica nanosystems. The hybrid MONs of less than 50 nm in particle size exhibit the unique reduction-responsive biodegradation behavior, and the biodegradation rate is significantly higher than that of traditional mesoporous silica nanoparticles with pure inorganic Si O Si framework. The reductive microenvironment-triggered biodegradation of MONs induces the concurrent reduction-responsive anticancer drug releasing from MONs, enabling tumor-specific drug delivery. Importantly, these biocompatible and biodegradable MONs exhibit significantly improved drug-delivery efficiency and enhanced tumor-suppressing effect for combating cancer. Based on the facile and large-scale fabrication of MONs with controllable key structure/composition/morphology parameters, unique tumor microenvironment-responsive biodegradation behavior and high performance for drug delivery, the MONs therefore show more promising potentials for clinical translation as compared to traditional MSNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rapid advancements in the field of nanotechnology, there is mounting frustration in the scientific community regarding the translational impact of nanomedicine. Modest therapeutic performance of FDA-approved nanomedicines combined with multiple disappointing clinical trials (such as phase III HEAT trial) have raised questions about the future of nanomedicine. Encouraging breakthroughs, however, have been made in the last few years towards the development of new classes of nanoparticles that can respond to tumor microenvironmental conditions and successfully deliver therapeutic agents to cancer cells. Concurrently, a great deal of effort has also been devoted to alter various parameters of tumor pathophysiology to pre-treat tumors before nanoparticles are administered. Such ‘priming’ treatments improve access of the systemically administered agents to the tumor and promote drug penetration into the deeper layers of tumor tissue. This review will highlight recent advances in cancer nanomedicine exploiting both nanoparticle design and tumor microenvironment modification; and provide a critical perspective on the future development of nanomedicine delivery in oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To efficiently deliver anti-cancer drug to tumor site and reduce its toxic side effects on normal tissues, a polyethylene glycol (PEG) shielding and tumor microenvironment triggering cascade pH-responsive hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) drug delivery system was fabricated. 3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (DHPA) functionalized beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was grafted onto the surfaces of HMSNs via boronic acid-catechol ester bonds. Then, PEG conjugated adamantane (Ada) was anchored on HMSNs-β-CD nanocarrier via host-gust interaction. Various techniques proved the successful fabrication of the system. The in vitro tests confirmed that the system was biocompatible. After the system permeating into tumor via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, the benzoic-imine bonds between the PEG and Ada were cleaved under weak acid condition in tumor microenvironment (pH 6.8), while the dissociated PEG protective layer facilitating cellular uptake of HMSNs system. Subsequently, the boronic acid-catechol ester bonds linkers further hydrolyzed under even low endosomal pH (4.5–6.5) condition for intracellular drug delivery, leading to efficient cell apoptosis. The in vivo results demonstrated that drug loaded HMSNs significantly inhibited tumor growth while only with minimal toxic side effects. The strategy provides new insight into the development of new generation of drug delivery carriers triggering by tumor microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]