articleJournal of NanobiotechnologyJan 30, 2026GOLD OA

Overcoming tumor microenvironment barriers: transformable and bioinspired nanomedicine strategies for deep tumor penetration

Dalian Minzu University · The University of Sydney · +2 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefdoajpubmed

Abstract

Solid tumors pose a spatial "delivery-at-depth" bottleneck: therapeutics that reach tumors often remain sequestered near vessels and fail to distribute uniformly into tumor cores. This limitation arises from heterogeneous perfusion, elevated interstitial fluid pressure, and dense extracellular matrix, which together restrict convection-diffusion balance and amplify binding-site barriers. We organize transformable and bioinspired nanomedicines using a barrier-centric lens and summarize five strategy families to deepen and homogenize intratumoral transport: (i) stimuli-responsive size/charge switching, (ii) microenvironment remodeling to restore perfusion and decompress stroma, (iii) ligand-guided transcytosis…

Citation impact

5
total citations
FWCI
41.32
Percentile
100%
References
134
Too recent for citation history.

Authors

7

Topics & keywords

Keywords
  • Transcytosis
  • Tumor microenvironment
  • Nanomedicine
  • Extracellular matrix
  • Internalization
  • Endocytosis
  • Immune system
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