INTRODUCTION: In recent years, to improve the precision of drug delivery and reduce toxicity associated from the uncontrolled drug release at off-target locations, extensive efforts have been paid to develop stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, which enable precise control over on-demand drug release due to internal stimuli like pH, redox, enzyme and external stimuli like light, magnetic field, and ultrasound. Moreover, some stimuli-responsive nanocarriers have been strategically incorporated with imaging probes for simultaneous monitoring of the drug delivery process and region of interest for treatment optimization.
AREAS COVERED: In this review, the state-of-art progress in developing stimuli-responsive image-guided nanocarriers are summarized, including their designed strategies, synergistic mechanism, and biomedical applications in cancer therapy, and the current challenges and new perspectives are discussed.
EXPERT OPINION: The stimuli-responsive nanocarriers provide assurance for precise release of drugs and imaging probes, and the molecular imaging techniques can monitor the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and bioavailability of drugs , and feedback the drug delivery profile. Therefore, stimuli-responsive image-guided nanocarriers can integrate diagnosis and therapy in one nanoplatform and facilitate optimal therapeutic efficacy.
