Progressive insights into nanomaterials for cancer starvation therapy
Starvation therapy (ST) aims to hinder the rapid proliferation of cancer cells by depriving oxygen and nutrients, and has been considered an ideal approach for cancer treatment. However, traditional ST schemes suffer from low targeting efficacy, undesired systemic side effects, elevated tumor hypoxia, induced drug resistance, and increased tumor metastasis risk, limiting clinical applications. To overcome these challenges, numerous nanomedicines have been engineered to advance ST-driven anti-tumor therapy. This review highlights emerging breakthroughs at the intersection of ST, nanotechnology, and cancer treatment. It focuses on ST-related inducible strategies, including nutrient supply regulation, key nutrient deprivation, and emerging approaches. Furthermore, it underscores the synergistic benefits of combining ST with other therapeutic modalities such as phototherapy, chemodynamic therapy, chemotherapy, ferroptosis, gas therapy, and immune therapy. Finally, existing challenges and future perspectives on clinical ST of tumors are discussed.