Cancer represents a major worldwide disease burden marked by escalating incidence and mortality. While therapeutic advances persist, developing safer and precisely targeted modalities remains imperative. Nanomedicines emerges as a transformative paradigm leveraging distinctive physicochemical properties to achieve tumor-specific drug delivery, controlled release, and tumor microenvironment modulation. By synergizing passive enhanced permeation and retention effect-driven accumulation and active ligand-mediated targeting, nanoplatforms enhance pharmacokinetics, promote tumor microenvironment enrichment, and improve cellular internalization while mitigating systemic toxicity. Despite revolutionizing cancer therapy through enhanced treatment efficacy and reduced adverse effects, translational challenges persist in manufacturing scalability, longterm biosafety, and cost-efficiency. This review systematically analyzes cutting-edge nanoplatforms, including polymeric, lipidic, biomimetic, albumin-based, peptide engineered, DNA origami, and inorganic nanocarriers, while evaluating their strategic advantages and technical limitations across three therapeutic domains: immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. By assessing structure-function correlations and clinical translation barriers, this work establishes mechanistic and translational references to advance oncological nanomedicine development.
Humans ; Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Animals ; Nanomedicine/methods* ; Drug Delivery Systems/methods* ; Drug Carriers/chemistry* ; Radiotherapy/methods*

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have reshaped the treatment landscape of hematological malignancies, offering a potentially curative option for patients. Despite these major milestones in the field of immuno-oncology, growing experience with CAR-T cells has also highlighted several limitations of this strategy. The production process of CAR-T cells is complex, time-consuming, and costly, thus leading to poor drug accessibility. The potential carcinogenic risk of viral transfection systems remains a matter of controversy. Treatment-related side effects, such as cytokine release syndrome, can be life-threatening. And the biggest challenge is the inadequate efficacy related to poor infiltration and retention of CAR-T cells in tumor tissues and impaired T cell activation caused by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Innovative strategies are urgently needed to address these problems, and nanomedicine offers good solutions to these challenges. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent advancements in the application of nanomaterials to enhance CAR-T cell therapy. We examine the role of innovative nanoparticle-based delivery systems in the production of CAR-T cells, with a particular focus on polymeric delivery systems and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Furthermore, we explore various strategies for delivering immune stimulators, which significantly enhance the efficacy of CAR-T cells by modulating T cell viability and functionality or by reprogramming the immunosuppressive TME. In addition, we discuss several novel therapeutic approaches aimed at mitigating the adverse effects associated with CAR-T therapies. Finally, we offer an integrated perspective on the future challenges and opportunities facing CAR-T therapies.
Humans ; Nanomedicine/methods* ; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism* ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods* ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Animals

The dysfunction of the lysosome and autophagy-lysosome system serves as a driving force for neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, inflammatory conditions, and other related diseases, closely influencing their onset and progression. Therefore, restoring the function of the lysosome or autophagy-lysosome system has become an increasingly crucial therapeutic strategy in disease management. In this review, we will introduce the lysosomal biogenesis, structure, and function, as well as the biological process of the autophagy-lysosome system. Various diseases closely associated with lysosomal/autophagic dysfunction are also reviewed, emphasizing the significance of targeting the function of the lysosome or autophagy-lysosome system in disease treatment. Finally, we focus on engineered nanomaterials that have the capabilities to restore the function of the lysosome or autophagy-lysosome system, and summarize different strategies and methods for achieving this goal. This review aims to elucidate the latest progress in the field of nanomedicine for lysosomal/autophagic defect-related diseases and inspire the development of innovative and clinically valuable nanomedicines.
Humans ; Lysosomes/physiology* ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Nanomedicine/methods* ; Neurodegenerative Diseases/therapy* ; Animals ; Nanostructures ; Lysosomal Storage Diseases/therapy*

Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems (nDDSs) present significant opportunities for improving disease treatment, offering advantages in drug encapsulation, solubilization, stability enhancement, and optimized pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. nDDSs, comprising lipid, polymeric, protein, and inorganic nanovehicles, can be guided by or respond to biological cues for precise disease treatment and management. Equipping nanocarriers with tissue/cell-targeted ligands enables effective navigation in complex environments, while functionalization with stimuli-responsive moieties facilitates site-specific controlled release. These strategies enhance drug delivery efficiency, augment therapeutic efficacy, and reduce side effects. This article reviews recent strategies and ongoing advancements in nDDSs for targeted drug delivery and controlled release, examining lesion-targeted nanomedicines through surface modification with small molecules, peptides, antibodies, carbohydrates, or cell membranes, and controlled-release nanocarriers responding to endogenous signals such as pH, redox conditions, enzymes, or external triggers like light, temperature, and magnetism. The article also discusses perspectives on future developments.
Humans ; Drug Carriers/chemistry* ; Drug Delivery Systems/methods* ; Delayed-Action Preparations/chemistry* ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Animals ; Drug Liberation ; Nanomedicine

Ferritin, a ubiquitous protein in living organisms, plays a crucial role in storing and converting iron, as well as maintaining cellular iron metabolism balance. Due to the ability of self-assembling into unique nanocage-like structures in vitro and the special physicochemical properties, ferritin has garnered extensive attention in the biomedical field. This paper provides a brief overview of the structure and cargo loading strategies of ferritin, with a specific focus on its applications in various biological fields such as nanomedicine, bioimaging, and nanoparticle vaccine carriers. The aim is to offer a valuable reference for the future research involving ferritin nanoparticles.
Ferritins/chemistry* ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Humans ; Nanomedicine/methods* ; Animals

Nanomedicine is an interdisciplinary area that utilizes nanoscience and technology in the realm of medicine. Rapid advances in science and technology have propelled the medical sector into a new era. The most commonly used nanotechnology in the field of medicine is nanoparticles. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, nanoparticles offer significant benefits of precision medicine for diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease that cannot be effectively treated by existing approaches. Nanomedicine has emerged as a highly active research field, with extensive scientific and technological studies being carried out, as well as growing international competition in the commercialization of this field. The accumulation of expertise in the key technologies relating to nanomedicine would provide strategic advantages in the development of cutting-edge medical techniques. This review presented a comprehensive analysis of the primary uses of nanoparticles in medicine, including recent advances in their application for the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, we discussed the challenges and possibilities associated with the application of nanoparticles in clinical settings.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Precision Medicine/methods* ; Nanomedicine/methods* ; Nanoparticles/therapeutic use*

In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on exploring innovative drug delivery approaches due to the limitations of conventional therapeutic strategies, such as inadequate drug targeting, insufficient therapeutic efficacy, and significant adverse effects. Nanomedicines have emerged as a promising solution with notable advantages, including extended drug circulation, targeted delivery, and improved bioavailability, potentially enhancing the clinical treatment of various diseases. Natural products/materials-derived nanomedicines, characterized by their natural therapeutic efficacy, superior biocompatibility, and safety profile, play a crucial role in nanomedicine-based treatments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of currently approved natural products-derived nanomedicines, emphasizing the essential properties of natural products-derived drug carriers, their applications in clinical diagnosis and treatment, and the current therapeutic potential and challenges. The aim is to offer guidance for the application and further development of these innovative therapeutic approaches.
Animals ; Humans ; Biological Products/chemistry* ; Drug Carriers/chemistry* ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Nanomedicine/methods*

Radiomics handles imaging biomarker from high-throughput feature extraction through complex pattern recognition that is difficult for human to process. Recent medical paradigms are rapidly changing to personalized medicine, including molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and theranostics, and the importance of biomarkers for these is growing day by day. Even though biopsy continues to gold standard for tumor assessment in personalized medicine, imaging is expected to complement biopsy because it allows whole tumor evaluation, whole body evaluation, and non-invasive and repetitive evaluation. Radiomics is known as a useful method to get imaging biomarkers related to intratumor heterogeneity in molecular targeted therapy as well as one-size-fits-all therapy. It is also expected to be useful in new paradigms such as immunotherapy and somatostatin receptor (SSTR) or prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted theranostics. Radiomics research should move to multimodality (CT, MR, PET, etc.), multicenter, and prospective studies from current single modality, single institution, and retrospective studies. Image-quality harmonization, intertumor heterogeneity, and integrative analysis of information from different scales are thought to be important keywords in future radiomics research. It is clear that radiomics will play an important role in personalized medicine.
Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Complement System Proteins ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Membranes ; Methods ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Population Characteristics ; Precision Medicine ; Prospective Studies ; Receptors, Somatostatin ; Retrospective Studies ; Theranostic Nanomedicine ; Weights and Measures

Optically-triggered phase-transition droplets have been introduced as a promising contrast agent for photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging that not only provide significantly enhanced contrast but also have potential as photoacoustic theranostic molecular probes incorporated with targeting molecules and therapeutics. For further understanding the dynamics of optical droplet vaporization process, an innovative, methodical analysis by concurrent acoustical and ultrafast optical recordings, comparing with a theoretical model has been employed. In addition, the repeatability of the droplet vaporization-recondensation process, which enables continuous photoacoustic imaging has been studied through the same approach. Further understanding the underlying physics of the optical droplet vaporization and associated dynamics may guide the optimal design of the droplets. Some innovative approaches in preclinical studies have been recently demonstrated, including sono-photoacoustic imaging, dual-modality of photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging, and super-resolution photoacoustic imaging. In this review, current development of optically triggered phase-transition droplets and understanding on the vaporization dynamics, their applications are introduced and future directions are discussed.
Methods ; Models, Theoretical ; Molecular Probes ; Theranostic Nanomedicine ; Ultrasonography ; Volatilization

Platelets have long been known to play critical roles in hemostasis by clumping and clotting blood vessel injuries. Recent experimental evidence strongly indicates that platelets can also interact with tumor cells by direct binding or secreting cytokines. For example, platelets have been shown to protect circulating cancer cells in blood circulation and to promote tumor metastasis. In-depth understanding of the role of platelets in cancer progression and metastasis provides promising approaches for platelet biomimetic drug delivery systems and functional platelet-targeting strategies for effective cancer treatment. This review highlights recent progresses in platelet membrane-based drug delivery and unique strategies that target tumor-associated platelets for cancer therapy. The paper also discusses future development opportunities and challenges encountered for clinical translation.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Biomimetic Materials ; chemistry ; Blood Platelets ; cytology ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Humans ; Models, Animal ; Nanomedicine ; methods ; Nanostructures ; chemistry ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy