Glycyrrhizic acid-based multifunctional nanoplatform for tumor microenvironment regulation

Currently, natural compounds display the unique therapeutic advantages for cancer treatment, embodying in suppressing tumor directly or interfering tumor microenvironment. Glycyrrhizic acid (GL), a well-known bioactive ingredient derived from the medicinal herb Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., as well as its sapogenin glycyrrhetinic acid, have been well-acknowledged to inhibit angiogenesis and remodel the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the combination of GL with other therapeutic agents presents the superior therapeutic advantages. Currently, in view of the amphiphilic structure, self-assembly capability and liver cancer targeting capacity of GL, various GL-based nanoscaled drug delivery systems have been developed. These GL-based nanosystems exhibited the angiogenesis suppression and the tumor microenvironment regulation role, to synergistically enhance the anti-cancer effect. Herein, the recent progresses of GL-based nanosystems, including polymer-drug micelles, drug-drug assembly nanoparticles, liposomes, and nanogels, for cancer treatment and even tumor postoperative treatment are summarized, providing the new view for the anti-cancer values of natural compounds. Furthermore, the existing challenges and further perspectives for GL-based nanosystems from bench to bedside are also discussed.