Applications of stimuli-responsive nanoscale drug delivery systems in translational research

Nanoscale drug delivery systems or nanocarriers have shown tremendous promise in the target-specific delivery of therapeutics as well as diagnostic agents. Additional properties can be introduced into nanocarriers to enhance the bioavailability and targeting efficiency of the transported drugs at diseased sites. Such nanocarriers are usually incorporated with stimuli-responsive components that can be triggered by specific stimuli (e.g., temperature, pH, or enzymes) and further induced by certain biological responses, such as enzyme hydrolysis and molecular conformational changes, leading to the controlled release of the transported molecules at targeted sites. In this review, we discuss various stimuli-responsive nanoscale delivery systems and summarize the current perspectives as well as challenges facing the successful translation of these innovative stimuli-responsive nanocarriers from the bench to the bedside.