At present

antitumor drugs in clinic are mostly small molecules

which have some disadvantages such as poor water solubility

uncontrolled drug release behavior and high toxicity. Due to amphiphilic polymers can self-assemble to form nano-micelles with "core-shell" structure and tumor tissues and their intracellular environment are weakly acidic as compared to the neutral normal tissues

the acid-responsive amphiphilic polymers as antitumor drug carriers have drawn a lot of attentions in the recent decade. This article emphatically introduced the structure characteristics of acid-responsive amphiphilic polymers as drug carriers

and the functional characteristics were expounded from improving the stability of micelle in blood circulation

enhancing cell uptake ability and controlling drug release. In addition

the future research prospect of acid-responsive amphiphilic polymers as drug carriers was also put forward.