Reactive Oxygen Species-Dependent Nanomedicine Therapeutic Modalities for Gastric Cancer

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a double-edged role in gastric cancer (GC). Higher levels of ROS in tumor cells compared to normal cells facilitate tumor progression. Once ROS concentrations rise rapidly to toxic levels, they cause GC cell death, which is instead beneficial for GC treatment. Based on these functions, nano-delivery systems taking the therapeutic advantages of ROS have been widely employed in tumor therapy in recent years, which overcame the drawbacks of conventional drug delivery techniques, such as non-specific systemic effects. In this review, the precise impacts of ROS on GC have been detailed, along with ROS-based nanomedicine therapeutic schemes. These strategies mainly focused on the use of excess ROS in the tumor microenvironment for controlled drug release and a substantial enhancement of ROS concentrations for tumor killing. The challenges and opportunities for the advancement of these anticancer therapies are also emphasized.