Biological stimuli-responsive cyclodextrin-based host–guest nanosystems for cancer therapy

Stimuli-responsive nanosystems are of particular interest in cancer therapy, owing to their impressive capability to enable the on-demand drug release in response to specific biological stimuli in tumor microenvironments (such as pH, redox and enzyme, etc.). Cyclodextrin (CD)-based host–guest interactions provide a flexible and powerful platform for the development of multifunctional nanosystems. This article highlights the current progress of CD-based host–guest nanosystems (CHNs) with biological stimuli-responsive properties in cancer therapy. We summarize the composition, structure and design of various CHNs in response to specific stimuli in tumor, and focus on their performance in controlled drug delivery and cancer therapy. These recent advances make it a promising and intelligent drug delivery system to improve the anticancer efficacy.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (233 K)Download as PowerPoint slide