Applications of nanotechnology in targeting and regulating the tumor microenvironment

Tumor is an ensemble performance of tumor cells, the surrounding stromal cells and non-cellular components. Since tumor microenvironment plays fundamental roles in tumor growth and metastasis, emerging studies have been investigating diagnostic and therapeutic agents which can target or regulate the tumor stroma. Cancer nanotechnology, as an integrated platform, has the potential to accurately monitor tumor for early diagnosis and dramatically improve the targeted, long-lasting and combinational therapy. Compared with traditional therapeutics, nanomaterials can easily achieve the tumor areas. In the current review, we summarized the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, current anti-tumor stroma drugs, and the recent progress on the applications of nanotechnology in tumor microenvironment-based diagnosis and therapeutics, showing our perspectives on achieving tumor specific recognition and integration of diagnostic and therapeutic functions into multifunctional nanomaterials.