Mitochondria-specific drug release and reactive oxygen species burst induced by polyprodrug nanoreactors can enhance chemotherapy

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09566-3

Zhang W, Hu X, Shen Q, Xing D

• Many cancer cells over-produce reactive oxygen species by ~10-fold relative to normal cells, providing a biomarker for cancer cells.
• The authors sought to design a chemical system which targets ROS-overproducing cells, and then further stimulate long-term ROS overproduction inside mitochondria, to induce apoptosis.