Exogenous/endogenous stimuli-responsive nanocatalysts trigger in situ chemical reactions for tumor catalytic therapy: an up-to-date mini-review

The principle of the nanocatalytic medicine strategy is introducing nanocatalysts into tumor tissues and triggering specific chemical reactions through endogenous/exogenous stimuli to convert low/non-toxic exogenously delivered or endogenous substances into therapeutic products with high cytotoxicity. In recent years, the nanocatalytic medicine strategy has been proven to be effective in achieving tumor catalytic therapy, which is expected to reduce side effects and decrease the occurrence of drug resistance. This mini-review briefly outlines typical applications and recent advances in nanocatalyst-triggered in situ chemical reactions in tumor catalytic therapy. Special attention is paid to the design of nanocatalysts related to endogenous and exogenous stimuli (e.g., light, heat, ultrasound, etc.). Finally, challenges and future opportunities for advancing nanocatalysts are highlighted to facilitate the realization of early clinical applications of nanocatalytic medicine strategies.