The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the internal environment in which tumor cells generate and live, including tumor cells themselves and surrounding fibroblasts, immune and inflammatory cells, glial cells, and other cells, as well as the intercellular stroma, microvessels, and infiltrated biomolecules in the nearby areas. [1] Paget compared tumor cells to seeds and
Chemotherapy is still the most direct and effective means of cancer therapy nowadays. The proposal of drug delivery systems (DDSs) has effectively improved many shortcomings of traditional chemotherapy drugs. The technical support of DDSs lies in their excellent material properties. Polysaccharides include a series of natural polymers, such as chitosan, hyaluronic acid, and alginic acid. These polysaccharides have good biocompatibility and degradability, and they are easily chemical modified. Therefore, polysaccharides are ideal candidate materials to construct DDSs, and their clinical application prospects have been favored by researchers. On the basis of versatile types of polysaccharides, this review elaborates their applications from strategic design to cancer therapy. The construction and modification methods of polysaccharide-based DDSs are specifically explained, and the latest research progress of polysaccharide-based DDSs in cancer therapy are also summarized. The purpose of this review is to provide a reference for the design and preparation of polysaccharide-based DDSs with excellent performance.
As a green and renewable resource, marine polysaccharides have inherent nontoxicity, good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and environmental friendliness. Compared to land-based polysaccharides, marine polysaccharides occupy an absolute advantage in the process...
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