Emerging smart nanocarrier based drug delivery systems for cancer therapeutics

Over recent decades, nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems (NDS) have transformed cancer therapy by enabling targeted drug delivery, advanced imaging, and improved therapeutic efficacy through diverse nanoparticles, including liposomes, polymeric, gold, and magnetic nanoparticles. Smart drug delivery systems (SDDS) represent a significant advancement in NDS and cancer therapy, offering precise, tumor-specific treatment through multifunctional nanocarriers. These systems can be activated upon reaching their target via internal physiological cues (e.g., pH, temperature, or enzyme activity) or external stimuli (e.g., light, heat, or ultrasound), thereby enabling controlled and targeted drug release to achieve effective therapeutic outcomes. By integrating SDDS with various cancer treatment strategies, nanocarriers can enhance therapeutic precision and efficacy across multiple modalities. This review discusses different cancer therapy strategies utilizing SDDS to achieve targeted drug delivery, classifying nanoparticles by their therapeutic potential. It further reviews the preparation of smart nanocarriers and their potential outcomes and identifies the critical challenges that must be addressed to overcome current limitations and enable successful clinical translation. Overall, this article provides an integrated review of the latest developments in smart nanomedicines, offering a comprehensive understanding of their current and future impact on cancer therapy.