Work

Stimuli‐Responsive Supramolecular Biomaterials for Cancer Theranostics

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The ultimate goal of cancer theranostics is to deliver imaging agents and therapeutic cargo to tumor sites when and where they are required. "Smart" systems─including targeted and tailored releases with excellent spatial, temporal, and dosage control─should be developed. Supramolecular interactions with dynamic, reversible, and directional features enable the design of biomaterials with ordered architectures, tailored morphologies, multiple types of cargo, and controllable functions. Such supramolecular biomaterials are good candidates for oncology applications, as they optimize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic adverse effects. This review summarizes recent advances in intelligent supramolecular biomaterials, with a specific focus on their spatiotemporal control in cancer theranostics. These biomaterials exploit endogenous and exogenous stimuli to trigger their morphological transformation. In particular, their construction approach and working mechanism, which are crucial in guiding tumor theranostics, are elaborated. Furthermore, the significant challenges in clinical translation and future perspectives for such biomaterials are discussed.

Source: Advanced Science

DOI: 10.1002/advs.202515860

Authors: Wenting Hu, Binglin Ye, Guocan Yu, Feihe Huang, Zhengwei Mao

Institutions: Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University

Language: English

Topic: Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,730