Nanotechnology-enabled precision targeting of lung cancer stem cells: Recent developments and therapeutic implications.

IF 4.9 3区医学 Q2 CELL & TISSUE ENGINEERING

Stem Cell Reviews and Reports Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-25 DOI:10.1007/s12015-026-11198-2

Yi Zhang, Jiaxin Fan, Yuhan Ye, Chuang Li, Ming-Fei Lang

{"title":"Nanotechnology-enabled precision targeting of lung cancer stem cells: Recent developments and therapeutic implications.","authors":"Yi Zhang, Jiaxin Fan, Yuhan Ye, Chuang Li, Ming-Fei Lang","doi":"10.1007/s12015-026-11198-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for more effective therapeutic strategies. Lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) play critical roles in tumor initiation, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence through dynamic interactions with the tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion. Despite advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, conventional approaches remain insufficient for the complete elimination of LCSCs. Recent progress in nanotechnology has provided new opportunities for precision targeting of LCSCs by enhancing drug bioavailability, tumor selectivity, controlled release, and multifunctional therapeutic integration. In this review, we summarize current nanotechnology-enabled strategies targeting LCSCs, with particular emphasis on TME remodeling, metabolic regulation, and tumor immunity. Distinct from previous reviews that discuss cancer stem cells or nanomedicine separately, this review establishes an integrated framework linking LCSC niche regulation with nanotechnology-based precision therapeutics in lung cancer. We further highlight the therapeutic potential of multifunctional nanoplatforms, including nanocrystalline drugs, smart nanocarriers, and combinational nano-delivery systems, in modulating stemness-associated pathways, overcoming immune suppression, and disrupting metabolic adaptation. In addition, emerging strategies involving stimulus-responsive nanomaterials, ferroptosis induction, and engineered immunotherapeutic platforms are discussed. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives regarding tumor heterogeneity, nanocarrier biocompatibility, translational feasibility, and personalized therapeutic design are addressed. Collectively, this review provides a comprehensive perspective on nanotechnology-enabled precision targeting of LCSCs and offers insights into next-generation therapeutic strategies for lung cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":21955,"journal":{"name":"Stem Cell Reviews and Reports","volume":" ","pages":"3152-3171"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Stem Cell Reviews and Reports","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-026-11198-2","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/7/25 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CELL & TISSUE ENGINEERING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for more effective therapeutic strategies. Lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) play critical roles in tumor initiation, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence through dynamic interactions with the tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion. Despite advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, conventional approaches remain insufficient for the complete elimination of LCSCs. Recent progress in nanotechnology has provided new opportunities for precision targeting of LCSCs by enhancing drug bioavailability, tumor selectivity, controlled release, and multifunctional therapeutic integration. In this review, we summarize current nanotechnology-enabled strategies targeting LCSCs, with particular emphasis on TME remodeling, metabolic regulation, and tumor immunity. Distinct from previous reviews that discuss cancer stem cells or nanomedicine separately, this review establishes an integrated framework linking LCSC niche regulation with nanotechnology-based precision therapeutics in lung cancer. We further highlight the therapeutic potential of multifunctional nanoplatforms, including nanocrystalline drugs, smart nanocarriers, and combinational nano-delivery systems, in modulating stemness-associated pathways, overcoming immune suppression, and disrupting metabolic adaptation. In addition, emerging strategies involving stimulus-responsive nanomaterials, ferroptosis induction, and engineered immunotherapeutic platforms are discussed. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives regarding tumor heterogeneity, nanocarrier biocompatibility, translational feasibility, and personalized therapeutic design are addressed. Collectively, this review provides a comprehensive perspective on nanotechnology-enabled precision targeting of LCSCs and offers insights into next-generation therapeutic strategies for lung cancer.

查看原文本刊更多论文

纳米技术实现肺癌干细胞的精确靶向：最近的发展和治疗意义。

肺癌仍然是世界范围内癌症相关死亡的主要原因之一，这突出表明迫切需要更有效的治疗策略。肺癌干细胞（LCSCs）通过与肿瘤微环境（TME）、代谢重编程和免疫逃避的动态相互作用，在肿瘤的发生、转移、治疗抵抗和复发中发挥着关键作用。尽管靶向治疗和免疫治疗取得了进展，但传统方法仍然不足以完全消除LCSCs。纳米技术的最新进展通过提高药物的生物利用度、肿瘤选择性、控释和多功能治疗整合，为LCSCs的精确靶向提供了新的机会。在这篇综述中，我们总结了目前针对LCSCs的纳米技术支持策略，特别强调了TME重塑，代谢调节和肿瘤免疫。与之前单独讨论癌症干细胞或纳米药物的综述不同，本综述建立了一个将LCSC利基调控与基于纳米技术的肺癌精确治疗联系起来的综合框架。我们进一步强调多功能纳米平台的治疗潜力，包括纳米晶体药物、智能纳米载体和组合纳米递送系统，在调节干细胞相关途径、克服免疫抑制和破坏代谢适应方面。此外，涉及刺激反应的纳米材料、铁下垂诱导和工程免疫治疗平台的新兴策略也进行了讨论。最后，讨论了肿瘤异质性、纳米载体生物相容性、转化可行性和个性化治疗设计的当前挑战和未来前景。总的来说，这篇综述提供了纳米技术支持的LCSCs精确靶向的全面视角，并为下一代肺癌治疗策略提供了见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Stem Cell Reviews and Reports 医学-细胞生物学

CiteScore

9.30

自引率

4.20%

发文量

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： The purpose of Stem Cell Reviews and Reports is to cover contemporary and emerging areas in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The journal will consider for publication: i) solicited or unsolicited reviews of topical areas of stem cell biology that highlight, critique and synthesize recent important findings in the field. ii) full length and short reports presenting original experimental work. iii) translational stem cell studies describing results of clinical trials using stem cells as therapeutics. iv) papers focused on diseases of stem cells. v) hypothesis and commentary articles as opinion-based pieces in which authors can propose a new theory, interpretation of a controversial area in stem cell biology, or a stem cell biology question or paradigm. These articles contain more speculation than reviews, but they should be based on solid rationale. vi) protocols as peer-reviewed procedures that provide step-by-step descriptions, outlined in sufficient detail, so that both experts and novices can apply them to their own research. vii) letters to the editor and correspondence. In order to facilitate this exchange of scientific information and exciting novel ideas, the journal has created five thematic sections, focusing on: i) the role of adult stem cells in tissue regeneration; ii) progress in research on induced pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells and mechanism governing embryogenesis and tissue development; iii) the role of microenvironment and extracellular microvesicles in directing the fate of stem cells; iv) mechanisms of stem cell trafficking, stem cell mobilization and homing with special emphasis on hematopoiesis; v) the role of stem cells in aging processes and cancerogenesis.