Highlights

• This review uniquely focuses on biologically triggered nanosystems specifically for general cardiovascular diseases, not only atherosclerosis.
• It covers a wide range of internal biological stimuli (e.g., ROS, ATP, enzymes) as drug release triggers, enabling non-invasive and targeted therapies.
• It summarizes the dual roles of these nanosystems in both therapeutic delivery and real-time disease monitoring or imaging.

Summary

This article provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in smart nanotechnology for cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatment.

It discusses how biologically responsive nanosystems—engineered to react to specific physiological stimuli like pH, enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), shear force, and ATP—can achieve targeted drug delivery and imaging in various CVD contexts such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, aneurysm, and restenosis. These nanosystems are designed to release therapeutic agents only under disease-specific conditions, thereby enhancing efficacy while reducing systemic toxicity.

The paper categorizes different types of nanocarriers (e.g., polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles) and details their mechanisms of responsiveness and clinical applications. While promising in preclinical models, the authors also address challenges in clinical translation, including scalability, safety, and regulatory hurdles.

Z. Song, K. Song, Y. Xiao, H. Guo, Y. Zhu, and X. Wang, “Biologically Responsive Nanosystems Targeting Cardiovascular Diseases,” CDD, vol. 18, no. 7, pp. 892–913, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.2174/1567201818666210127093743