聚合物纳米颗粒（NP），特别是由可生物降解和生物相容性聚酯组成的纳米颗粒，被誉为改变游戏规则的药物输送平台。事实上，聚（α-羟基酸）如聚丙交酯（PLA）、聚（丙交酯-乙交酯）（PLGA）和聚（ε-己内酯）（PCL）在过去三十年中得到了大量研究，因为用于药物输送应用的聚合物纳米颗粒的材料基础。作为材料，这些聚合物在可吸收缝合线、可生物降解植入物，甚至用于持续释放治疗剂（例如蛋白质和小分子）和诊断剂的整体可生物降解平台方面取得了成功。在通过聚合物纳米颗粒进行药物输送方面，很少有领域比癌症治疗更受关注。然而，用于治疗实体瘤的聚合物纳米药物的临床转化与这一特定研究领域的热情或资金并不一致。在这里，我们试图提供聚酯纳米颗粒在化疗给药背景下的全面概况。这包括在癌症研究领域对聚合物纳米医学的初步探索。我们研究了生产聚酯纳米颗粒的各种工艺，包括表面功能化方法和相关挑战。在详细概述了将纳米颗粒递送至实体瘤所涉及的多个因素之后，讨论了颗粒设计和与生物系统相互作用之间的串扰。最后，我们报告了将纳米粒子有效递送至肿瘤的最先进方法，旨在确定新的研究领域并重新评估某些研究途径交付不足的原因。我们希望我们的努力将有助于更好地理解这一空白，以填补和描绘使基于聚酯的纳米粒子更接近临床应用所需的未来研究工作。本文分类为：治疗方法和药物发现 > 肿瘤疾病纳米医学 生物学纳米技术方法 > 生物学治疗方法和药物发现中的纳米级系统 > 新兴技术。© 2024 作者。 WIREs 纳米医学和纳米生物技术由 Wiley periodicals LLC 出版。

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), specifically those comprised of biodegradable and biocompatible polyesters, have been heralded as a game-changing drug delivery platform. In fact, poly(α-hydroxy acids) such as polylactide (PLA), poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) have been heavily researched in the past three decades as the material basis of polymeric NPs for drug delivery applications. As materials, these polymers have found success in resorbable sutures, biodegradable implants, and even monolithic, biodegradable platforms for sustained release of therapeutics (e.g., proteins and small molecules) and diagnostics. Few fields have gained more attention in drug delivery through polymeric NPs than cancer therapy. However, the clinical translational of polymeric nanomedicines for treating solid tumors has not been congruent with the fervor or funding in this particular field of research. Here, we attempt to provide a comprehensive snapshot of polyester NPs in the context of chemotherapeutic delivery. This includes a preliminary exploration of the polymeric nanomedicine in the cancer research space. We examine the various processes for producing polyester NPs, including methods for surface-functionalization, and related challenges. After a detailed overview of the multiple factors involved with the delivery of NPs to solid tumors, the crosstalk between particle design and interactions with biological systems is discussed. Finally, we report state-of-the-art approaches toward effective delivery of NPs to tumors, aiming at identifying new research areas and re-evaluating the reasons why some research avenues have underdelivered. We hope our effort will contribute to a better understanding of the gap to fill and delineate the future research work needed to bring polyester-based NPs closer to clinical application. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies.© 2024 The Author(s). WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.