Advances in Drug Delivery, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics for Cancer: Toward Personalized Oncology

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 606

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Oncology, The London Clinic, London W1G 6BW, UK
Interests: bladder cancer; breast cancer; melanoma; renal; skin cancer
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Guest Editor
Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Interests: oncology and carcinogenesis; neurosciences; clinical sciences; biochemistry and cell biology; pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences

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Guest Editor
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Ioannina, GR 451 10 Ioannina, Greece
Interests: theranostic; plant derived agents; flow cytometry; neurosurgery; oncology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue invites contributions addressing innovative strategies in the diagnosis, treatment, and personalized management of cancer. It highlights advancements in drug delivery systems, theranostics, diagnostics, and the tumor microenvironment while emphasizing personalized oncology approaches to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Submissions may include original research, comprehensive reviews, or case studies in the following areas:

  • Drug Delivery Innovations:
    • Design and development of personalized, targeted drug delivery systems for cancer.
    • Novel nanoparticle-based, lipid-based, or polymeric carriers tailored to patient-specific tumor profiles.
    • Overcoming biological barriers to achieve selective delivery to metastatic sites.
  • Therapeutics:
    • Development of personalized therapies, including small molecules, biologics, and immunotherapies.
    • Advances in radiation-based therapies integrated with personalized treatment strategies.
    • Exploration of combination therapies targeting patient-specific metastatic pathways.
  • Theranostics:
    • Design of multifunctional agents that combine diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for personalized oncology.
    • Innovations in fluorescence-based or radiolabeled probes tailored to individual tumor biology.
    • Real-time monitoring tools for treatment response and cancer tracking.
  • Diagnostics and Biomarkers:
    • Discovery of novel biomarkers for the early detection and progression monitoring of metastatic cancers.
    • Development of personalized fluorescent sensors for the dynamic assessment of tumor microenvironment conditions.
    • Multi-omics approaches for the identification of patient-specific predictive biomarkers and treatment customization.
  • Emerging Technologies:
    • Application of cutting-edge technologies in tailoring therapeutic and diagnostic approaches for cancer.
    • Novel platforms for integrating personalized medicine into oncology practice.

Dr. Andreas Tzakos
Dr. Tim R. Crook
Dr. Nelofer Syed
Dr. George Alexiou
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • personalized medicine
  • cancer diagnostics
  • cancer therapeutics
  • cancer theranostics
  • radiotherapeutics
  • precision oncology
  • targeted therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • molecular diagnostics
  • biomarkers in cancer
  • cancer genomics
  • tumor microenvironment
  • surgical oncology
  • cancer biomarkers
  • AI in cancer diagnosis
  • multimodal cancer treatment
  • advanced imaging in oncology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

22 pages, 1049 KiB  
Review
Agents for Fluorescence-Guided Glioblastoma Surgery
by Eleni Romeo, Andreas G. Tzakos, Timothy Crook, Nelofer Syed, Spyridon Voulgaris and George A. Alexiou
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(5), 637; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17050637 - 11 May 2025
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Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, characterized by rapid progression and a median survival of no more than 12–18 months. Fluorescence-guided surgery is crucial, as it allows for tumor visualization and aids in its complete removal, which is essential for [...] Read more.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, characterized by rapid progression and a median survival of no more than 12–18 months. Fluorescence-guided surgery is crucial, as it allows for tumor visualization and aids in its complete removal, which is essential for improving survival rates. We conducted a literature review to identify fluorescent agents that have been utilized in the removal of GBM and to assess their benefits in achieving maximum tumor resection. Our analysis focuses on their advantages, limitations, and potential impact on improving surgical precision and patient outcomes. We searched the PubMed database for studies published on fluorescence-guided resection of GBM and evaluated the utility of each agent in terms of outcomes, gross total resection (GTR), and their sensitivity and specificity for the tumor. The literature review revealed that the three agents successfully utilized are 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), sodium fluorescein, and indocyanine green. In addition to these, a variety of dyes have been investigated in studies, including peptides, lipids, and nanosystems, which appear to be very promising. To date, numerous fluorescent agents have been proposed for the surgical resection of GBM. However, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) remains the only agent widely adopted in clinical practice, as its safety and efficacy have been well-established. Further clinical trials and studies are necessary to assess the utility, effectiveness, and potential advantages of emerging fluorescent dyes in enhancing GBM resection and improving patient outcomes. Full article
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