Hypoxia, a state of low oxygen tension, is common in many solid tumours and is linked to abnormal vasculature, leading to reduced oxygen and nutrient supply and impaired drug delivery. This hypoxic environment causes localized heterogeneous conditions with variable oxygen levels, low pH, and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). These conditions promote tumour invasiveness, metastasis, angiogenesis, and multidrug resistance, reducing the effectiveness of anticancer drugs and hindering drug development. This review explores various hypoxia-targeted and activated strategies for formulating drugs or prodrugs, highlighting their mechanisms of action for tumour diagnosis and treatment.-Scientific Journal cover design by scapiens

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/cs/c8cs00304a#!divAbstract