Nanotherapeutics for hydrogen sulfide-involved treatment: An emerging approach for cancer therapy
Xiaoyu Fan, Weidong Fei, Meng Zhang, Shan Yang, Mengdan Zhao, Caihong Zheng
Abstract
Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), as the third gasotransmitter, plays important roles in promoting the growth, proliferation, and metastasis of cancer cells. Recently, emerging nanotherapeutics have been developed for cancer therapy by regulating the H 2 S concentration at tumor sites. The action of H 2 S in cancer therapy can be demonstrated by a bell-shaped dose-response curve. In addition to the H 2 S donation from gas therapy, reducing the level of intratumoral H 2 S can also exert an antitumor effect by disturbing the redox balance of tumor cells. On top of that, the integration of nanotechnology further enhances the diversity of H 2 S-involved cancer treatments. As a result, phototherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and ultrasonic therapy can all be realized by designing nanotherapeutics based on the physicochemical properties of H 2 S. Furthermore, the active/passive targeting effects and onsite H 2 S-regulating ability of nanotherapeutics greatly improve the safety of treatment. To track the development and promote the clinical transformation of H 2 S-involved nanotherapeutics, this review introduced the antitumor-related properties of H 2 S gas and the evolution of H 2 S-involved cancer therapy. Then, we discussed the design concepts and mechanisms of H 2 S-involved nanotherapeutics in depth. Finally, the future expectations and challenges were spotlighted in the concept of translational medicine.