Current advances in modulating tumor hypoxia for enhanced therapeutic efficacy

Hypoxia is a common feature of most solid tumors, which promotes the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance of tumors. Researchers have been developing advanced strategies and nanoplatforms to modulate tumor hypoxia to enhance therapeutic effects. A timely review of this rapidly developing research topic is therefore highly desirable. For this purpose, this review first introduces the impact of hypoxia on tumor development and therapeutic resistance in detail. Current developments in the construction of various nanoplatforms to enhance tumor treatment in response to hypoxia are also systematically summarized, including hypoxia-overcoming, hypoxia-exploiting, and hypoxia-disregarding strategies. We provide a detailed discussion of the rationale and research progress of these strategies. Through a review of current trends, it is hoped that this comprehensive overview can provide new prospects for clinical application in tumor treatment.