Tumor Therapy and Drug Delivery: 2nd Edition
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: antitumor therapy; drug delivery; nanocarriers; tumor resistance models; metal complexes; lipid-based nanoparticles; liposomes; niosomes; natural antitumor compounds; neuroprotection; neurodegenerative diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Undoubtedly, one of the most promising approaches for optimizing in vivo drug performance lies in technological innovation. The advancement of drug delivery systems with controllable physicochemical characteristics and release kinetics, such as nanocarriers including liposomes, niosomes, micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, and supramolecular complexes, has significantly improved the therapeutic index of many antitumor agents while reducing dose-limiting toxicities. Molecular encapsulation offers additional benefits by shielding active compounds from nonspecific interactions with biomolecules, efflux transporters, and metabolic enzymes, while providing opportunities for both passive and active tumor targeting.
A particularly important concept in this context is the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, which enables the preferential accumulation of nanosized drug carriers within tumor tissues due to their leaky vasculature and inefficient lymphatic drainage. Nanocarriers within the optimal size range (50–150 nm) exploit this mechanism to achieve an increased local concentration of therapeutic agents in the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, physicochemical optimization, such as controlling surface charge, shape, and flexibility, can further improve EPR-mediated uptake and retention, enhancing therapeutic efficacy with reduced systemic exposure. In combination with active targeting strategies, such as ligand- or antibody-functionalization, the EPR effect represents a cornerstone of tumor-selective drug delivery and precision nanomedicine.
The continual refinement of drug carrier systems emphasizing biocompatibility, biodegradability, and targeted delivery is now a central tenet of personalized oncology. Such innovations have reinvigorated the clinical potential of traditional chemotherapeutics and enabled the emergence of novel treatment modalities, including antibody–drug conjugates and nanobody-based therapeutics designed for precise localization of cytotoxic agents to tumor cells.
The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an updated perspective on evolving strategies in antitumor therapy and drug delivery, emphasizing molecular mechanisms, design principles, and translational challenges of different approaches.
Dr. Rositsa Mihaylova
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- antitumor therapy
- drug-delivery systems
- nanocarriers
- immunoconjugates
- nanotechnology
- cancer selectivity
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