# Boosting cancer therapy with self-assembled inorganic nanocarriers via host-guest chemistry **Authors:** Ying Tang, Yifei Mao, Luxi Wang, Yuan-Fu Ding, Peng Li, Beibei Xie PMC · DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.102901 · 2026-02-07 ## TL;DR This review explores how self-assembling inorganic nanocarriers can improve cancer therapy by enhancing drug delivery and retention in tumors. ## Contribution The paper introduces the use of supramolecular host-guest interactions to self-assemble nanocarriers for better tumor targeting. ## Key findings - Self-assembled nanocarriers increase drug accumulation in tumors. - Host-guest chemistry enables precise control over drug release timing and location. - Various inorganic nanoparticles show potential for stimuli-responsive assembly. ## Abstract Inorganic nanocarriers (INCs) have been widely used in drug delivery systems due to their excellent biocompatibility, ease of synthesis and functionalization, cost-effectiveness, and robust physicochemical stability. However, small-sized INCs are prone to rapid in vivo clearance, resulting in low accumulation and limited retention in target tissues or cells, significantly reducing their therapeutic efficacy. The self-assembly of small INCs into large aggregates represents an innovative approach for enhancing their tumor-specific accumulation and retention. This review primarily focuses on the stimuli-responsive self-assembly of INCs, including gold nanoparticles, calcium carbonate nanoparticles, ferroferric oxide nanoparticles, and silica nanoparticles, driven by supramolecular host-guest interactions. Specifically, this strategy aims to increase accumulation concentrations, prolong retention time, and achieve precise spatiotemporal control over drug release for tumor treatment. Thus, this review provides a critical summary and reference for exploring supramolecular host-guest interactions in drug delivery systems and promotes the advancement of supramolecular chemistry as an emerging interdisciplinary field. This review summarizes the most recent progress on the self-assembly of versatile inorganic nanocarriers via host-guest interactions in cancer therapeutics.Image 1 ## Linked entities - **Diseases:** cancer (MONDO:0004992) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** CASP3 (caspase 3) [NCBI Gene 836] {aka CPP32, CPP32B, SCA-1}, IDO1 (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1) [NCBI Gene 3620] {aka IDO, IDO-1, INDO}, Gpx4 (glutathione peroxidase 4) [NCBI Gene 625249] {aka GPx-4, GSHPx-4, PHGPx, mtPHGPx, snGPx} - **Diseases:** hyperthermia (MESH:D005334), hypoxic (MESH:D002534), INCs (MESH:D020262), calcification (MESH:D002114), Cancer (MESH:D009369), inflammation (MESH:D007249), mitochondrial dysfunction (MESH:D028361), HCC (MESH:D006528), liver tumors (MESH:D008113), colorectal, cervical, and ovarian cancer (MESH:D010051), cytotoxicity (MESH:D064420), death (MESH:D003643), colorectal cancer (MESH:D015179) - **Chemicals:** Bzl (MESH:C031000), Cucurbit[7]uril (MESH:C456276), oxaliplatin (MESH:D000077150), galactose (MESH:D005690), CuS (MESH:C017846), water (MESH:D014867), Azobenzene (MESH:C009850), hydrazone (MESH:D006835), Aminopyridine (MESH:D000631), EDA (MESH:C564336), SPM (MESH:D013096), CB[n]s (MESH:D002187), alpha-CD (MESH:C032613), Ferrocene (MESH:C004998), MOFs (MESH:D000073396), paclitaxel (MESH:D017239), nitrogen (MESH:D009584), beta-CD (MESH:C031215), 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (MESH:C477625), c (MESH:D002244), Calcium carbonate (MESH:D002119), metal (MESH:D008670), Pt (MESH:D010984), gold (MESH:D006046), poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (MESH:C042535), oxygen (MESH:D010100), PNIPAm (MESH:C052970), Ethylenediamine (MESH:C031234), Trp (MESH:D014364), cucurbit[n]urils (MESH:C513894), hydrogen (MESH:D006859), calcium (MESH:D002118), methyl viologen (MESH:D010269), ROS (MESH:D017382), Folate (MESH:D005492), maleimide (MESH:C043592), GSH (MESH:D005978), CO2 (MESH:D002245), lipid (MESH:D008055), cysteine (MESH:D003545), calix[n]arenes (MESH:D047250), thiol (MESH:D013438), CD (MESH:D003505), Phe (MESH:D010649), F-Kyn (MESH:C007772), ADA-Cy5 (-), graphene (MESH:D006108), H2O2 (MESH:D006861), crown ethers (MESH:D043844), curcumin (MESH:D003474), SAS (MESH:D012460), DOX (MESH:D004317), Silica (MESH:D012822), Fc (MESH:C095424), potassium (MESH:D011188), pyridine (MESH:C023666), CB[6] (MESH:C000711968), RGD (MESH:C047981), disulfide (MESH:D004220) - **Species:** Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (no rank) [taxon 90371], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Escherichia coli (E. coli, species) [taxon 562], Bacteria Latreille et al. 1825 (Bacteria stick insect, genus) [taxon 629395], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606] - **Cell lines:** CCM — Homo sapiens (Human), Anaplastic astrocytoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_2613), B16 — Mus musculus (Mouse), Hybridoma (CVCL_U043), 4T1 — Mus musculus (Mouse), Malignant neoplasms of the mouse mammary gland, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0125) ## Figures 6 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12925222/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12925222