Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Colloid Particles for Drug Delivery

Colloidal particles are the most common carriers of anticancer drugs. Although various colloidal particles as carriers have been reported, it is still challenging to enhance the drug delivery efficacy. It has been proved that physicochemical properties (e.g., size, shape, structure, and surface chemistry) of colloidal particles play an important role in drug delivery processes, while the influence of the mechanical property of colloidal particles on the drug delivery process is rarely reported and reviewed. In this review, we summarize the preparation and characterization of colloidal particles with different mechanical properties. The influence of the mechanical properties of colloidal particles on blood circulation, tumor accumulation and penetration as well as cell internalization are also highlighted. Furthermore, the challenges and future directions in this field are discussed, which is helpful to understand the influence of mechanical property on the design of colloidal particles as carriers to improve the drug delivery efficacy and bioavailability of nanomedicines.