Advanced Theranostic Nanoplatforms for Precision Therapy
A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 12
Special Issue Editors
Interests: theranostic nanoplatforms; extracellular vesicle (EV); targeted drug delivery; stimuli-responsive nanomaterials; cancer and infectious disease therapy; antimicrobials; nanomedicine; biocompatible nanomaterials; real-time imaging; modular nanostructures; precision medicine; bacterial ghost (BG)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The integration of diagnostic and therapeutic functions into a single nanoplatform—theranostics—has become a transformative approach in personalized medicine. This Special Issue focuses on the development of modulable theranostic nanoplatforms based on synthetic nanosystems and engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) for targeted delivery, real-time imaging, and controlled therapy, with particular relevance to cancer and infectious diseases.
Special attention will be given to EVs derived from both eukaryotic and bacterial sources, owing to their intrinsic biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and natural targeting capabilities. In addition to EVs, bacterial ghosts (BGs)—non-living, empty bacterial envelopes created by controlled lysis—will be explored as innovative drug delivery systems. BGs retain the native surface structures of bacteria, facilitating targeted interaction with host cells, while offering high loading capacity and safety due to their non-replicative nature.
Alongside BGs, other biocompatible and stimuli-responsive nanomaterials will be investigated for their responsiveness to biological cues such as pH, enzymes, or redox gradients, enabling precise therapeutic action at diseased sites.
These multifunctional platforms will integrate diagnostic agents (e.g., fluorescent probes, MRI contrast agents) with therapeutic payloads (e.g., chemotherapeutics, antimicrobials, siRNA, or gene-editing tools) to enable simultaneous disease diagnosis and treatment.
Key objectives include the following:
- Fabrication of novel biocompatible nanomaterials for cancer and infectious disease therapy.
- Development of modular nanostructures with tunable properties for selective targeting.
- Integration of stimuli-responsive release mechanisms for controlled therapy.
- Validation of diagnostic potential using advanced in vitro and in vivo imaging.
- Evaluation of biocompatibility, biodistribution, and therapeutic efficacy in relevant models.
- Exploration of bacterial ghosts as a safe and effective platform for drug and gene delivery.
This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest innovations in theranostic nanomedicine, highlighting how these platforms are advancing precision treatment at the tissue, cellular, and subcellular levels.
Prof. Dr. Kwang-Sun Kim
Dr. Secheol Oh
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- theranostic nanoplatforms
- extracellular vesicles (EVs)
- targeted drug delivery
- stimuli-responsive nanomaterials
- antimicrobials
- cancer and infectious disease therapy
- nanomedicine
- biocompatible nanomaterials
- real-time imaging
- modular nanostructures
- precision medicine
- bacterial ghost
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