Recent developments of mesoporous silica nanoparticles in biomedicine

Owing to their intriguing features of controllable synthetic technique, excellent biocompatibility and convenient functionalization, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been recognized as one of the most promising nanocarriers for biomedicine. Herein, the recent developments on the biomedical application of MSNs are summarized. We mainly focus on the designing of MSNs-based smart drug delivery system, which can respond to endogenous tumor microenvironment (acidic pH, hypoxia, and upregulated enzyme, etc.) or the physical exogenous stimuli like light, magnet, ultrasound, and X-ray. Moreover, the strategies for fabricating MSNs-based imaging nanoplatform are summarized. Finally, the different functions and bioactivity of MSNs in regenerative medicine are also discussed. The potential obstacles for the further translation of MSNs from bench to bed are highlighted, and more exciting progress requires unremitting efforts in future.