Search

Nowadays, brain tumors are challenging problems, and the key of therapy is ensuring therapeutic drugs cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) effectively. Although the efficiency of drug transport across the BBB can be increased by innovating and modifying nanomedicines, they exert insufficient therapeutic effects on brain tumors due to the complex environment of the brain. It is worth noting that ultrasound combined with the cavitation effect of microbubbles can assist BBB opening and enhance brain delivery of nanomedicines. This ultrasound-assisted brain delivery (UABD) technology with related nanomedicines (UABD nanomedicines) can safely open the BBB, facilitate the entry of drugs into the brain, and enhance the therapeutic effect on brain tumors. UABD nanomedicines, as the main component of UABD technology, have great potential in clinical application and have been an important area of interest in the field of brain tumor therapy. However, research on UABD nanomedicines is still in its early stages despite the fact that they have been associated with many disciplines, including material science, brain science, ultrasound, biology, and medicine. Some aspects of UABD theory and technology remain unclear, especially the mechanisms of BBB opening, relationship between materials of nanomedicines and UABD technology, cavitation and UABD nanomedicines design theories. This review introduces the research status of UABD nanomedicines, investigates their properties and applications of brain tumor therapy, discusses the advantages and drawbacks of UABD nanomedicines for the treatment of brain tumors, and offers their prospects. We hope to encourage researchers from various fields to participate in this area and collaborate on developing UABD nanomedicines into powerful tools for brain tumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infinite coordination polymer nanomedicines have attracted increasing attention with respect to bright prospects in tumor therapy. We review their types, properties and synergistic anti-tumor effect, propose some future research directions. [Display omitted] • Infinite coordination polymer (ICP) nanomedicines are a type of carrier-free therapeutic agent delivery systems. • The main advantages of ICP nanomedicines are high therapeutic agent loading content, multi-medicine synergy and Smart pH response. • ICP nanomedicines are mainly used for chemotherapy, phototherapy and synergy therapy. • ICP nanomedicines are the promising therapeutic agent delivery systems for clinical tumor therapy. Infinite coordination polymer (ICP) is an amorphous compound formed by the coordination between ligands and metal ions. Among them, the therapeutic agent as the ligand of ICP is called ICP nanomedicines. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the bright prospect of ICP nanomedicines in tumor therapy, due to its advantages of high therapeutic agent loading content, flexible adjustment, perfect therapeutic effect, minimal side effects, easy synergy and functional expansion. However, studies in this area are relatively few due to the involvement of many disciplines, such as materials science, chemistry, pharmacy, biology, and medicine. In particular, there is a lack of systematic research on the theoretical and biological mechanisms and synergistic tumor therapy. This review systematically summarizes the latest progress of ICP nanomedicines in recent years; investigates their types, properties, and synergistic anti-tumor effect; discusses the advantages and shortcomings of ICP nanomedicines in tumor therapy; and proposes some future research directions to encourage researchers in various fields to participate in and work together to improve the ICP nanomedicines' effect in tumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]