Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery and Cancer Immunotherapy
A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Medicines".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 2211
Special Issue Editor
Interests: engineering nanomaterials and stimuli-responsive polymers for targeted drug/RNA delivery; photodynamic therapy; theranostics; cancer immunotherapy; infectious burn wound healing; oral drug delivery for diabetes
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nanomaterials have revolutionized drug delivery and cancer immunotherapy by enabling targeted, controlled, and efficient therapeutic strategies. Their unique physicochemical properties, such as a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, tunable size, and functional versatility, allow for precise engineering to improve drug solubility, protect therapeutic agents from degradation, and enhance accumulation in tumor tissues via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Functionalized nanocarriers, including liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, and inorganic nanoparticles, can be tailored to deliver chemotherapeutics or immunomodulatory agents directly to tumor cells or the tumor microenvironment.
In cancer immunotherapy, nanomaterials serve as delivery vehicles for immune checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines, cancer vaccines, or gene-silencing agents such as siRNA. These systems can reprogram immune cells, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and dendritic cells (DCs), to convert the tumor milieu from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory. This reprogramming enhances the recruitment and activation of cytotoxic T cells, leading to improved anti-tumor responses. Additionally, nanocarriers enable the co-delivery of tumor-associated antigens and immune adjuvants, enhancing the potency and specificity of cancer vaccines. Integrating nanotechnology with immunotherapy boosts therapeutic efficacy and significantly reduces systemic side effects, paving the way for next-generation precision medicine in oncology.
Dr. Anbu Mozhi Thamizhchelvan
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- nanomaterials
- cancer immunotherapy
- drug delivery
- enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect
- immune checkpoint inhibitors
- cytokines
- cancer vaccines
- tumor microenvironment
- tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs)
- dendritic cells (DCs)
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