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Biomaterials for Drug Delivery in Cancer Treatment

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2025) | Viewed by 852

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka St, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
Interests: silk; biomaterials; drug delivery; material functionalization/modification; material characterization; biomedical applications; cancer therapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Cancer is a complex disease and one of the most profound global health concerns. For years, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have been the gold standards to treat cancer, although continuing research has sought a more effective approach. While advances can be seen in the development of anticancer drugs, tools that can improve their delivery remain a challenge. The application of a suitable drug delivery platform in oncology may increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment and reduce the associated adverse side effects. Although various biomaterials can be considered for the development of the drug delivery system (DDS), materials of natural origin offer great biocompatibility and degradability. Numerous formulations of biomaterials could be utilized in a broad range of shapes and structures, both in plain and functionalized forms. Some types of biomaterials can intrinsically act as anticancer agents, while others can be used as carriers to provide targeted therapies against tumor cells. Moreover, DDSs based on active targeting have become a research hotspot, which further expands the clinical treatment of cancer. Targeting ligands such as peptides, small organic molecules, and antibodies have been added to the surface of particles, selectively binding to overexpressed targeting receptors of certain tumor cells. Furthermore, targeting tumor microenvironments (TMEs) is another important application of anticancer biomaterial-based DDSs, as they are key determinants of the final outcomes of cancer therapy.

This Special Issue "Biomaterials for Drug Delivery in Cancer Treatment" serves as a crucial platform for the convergence of biomaterials, DDSs, nanotechnology, and cancer therapy, aiming to foster innovative research at the intersection of these dynamic fields. This comprehensive compilation seeks to showcase cutting-edge developments in the utilization of biomaterial-based delivery platforms, exploring their multifaceted roles in both enhancing anticancer therapeutic strategies and advancing diagnostic approaches. This issue highlights the design and application of bio-inspired DDSs, focusing on controlled release mechanisms, targeted delivery platforms, and responsive carriers. It emphasizes the impact of biomaterials in augmenting treatment precision, especially through nanomaterial-based drug delivery and the integration of biomimetic materials for optimized therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, this Special Issue addresses the critical biological interactions of biomaterials and their clinical applications, including biocompatibility assessments, immunomodulatory effects, and considerations for practical translation.

Research contributions and review articles highlighting recent progress in these fields are all welcome.

Dr. Anna Florczak
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cancer therapy
  • biomaterials
  • nanomaterials
  • sustainable materials
  • biodegradable materials
  • responsive materials
  • biocompatibility
  • targeted drug delivery
  • local drug delivery
  • systemic drug delivery
  • tumor microenvironment
  • functionalization
  • hyperthermia
  • photodynamic therapy
  • combined therapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

29 pages, 4463 KiB  
Review
Magnetic 2D Transition-Metal-Based Nanomaterials in Biomedicine: Opportunities and Challenges in Cancer Therapy
by Sunčica Sukur and Václav Ranc
Materials 2025, 18(11), 2570; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112570 - 30 May 2025
Viewed by 450
Abstract
Severe systemic toxicity and poor targeting efficiency remain major limitations of traditional chemotherapy, emphasising the need for smarter drug delivery systems. Magnetic 2D transition-metal-based nanomaterials offer a promising approach, as they can be designed to combine high drug loading, precise targeting, and controlled [...] Read more.
Severe systemic toxicity and poor targeting efficiency remain major limitations of traditional chemotherapy, emphasising the need for smarter drug delivery systems. Magnetic 2D transition-metal-based nanomaterials offer a promising approach, as they can be designed to combine high drug loading, precise targeting, and controlled release. The key material classes—transition metal dichalcogenides, transition metal carbides/nitrides, transition metal oxides, and metal–organic frameworks—share important physicochemical properties. These include high surface-to-volume ratios, tuneable functionalities, and efficient intracellular uptake. Incorporating magnetic nanoparticles into these 2D structures broadens their potential beyond drug delivery, through enabling multimodal therapeutic strategies such as hyperthermia induction, real-time imaging, and photothermal or photodynamic therapy. This review outlines the potential of magnetic 2D transition-metal-based nanomaterials for biomedical applications by evaluating their therapeutic performance and biological response. In parallel, it offers a critical analysis of how differences in physicochemical properties influence their potential for specific cancer treatment applications, highlighting the most promising uses of each in bionanomedicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials for Drug Delivery in Cancer Treatment)
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