Engineered Polymeric Particles for Next-Generation Nanomedicine

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in the design, synthesis, and application of polymeric particles engineered for cutting-edge nanomedicine. As polymer-based nanomaterials gain increasing attention for their versatility, biocompatibility, and tunable physicochemical properties, researchers are developing innovative strategies to overcome longstanding challenges in drug delivery, diagnostics, and regenerative medicine.

The issue highlights state-of-the-art methodologies for fabricating polymeric particles with controlled sizes, architectures, surface functionalities, and responsive behaviors. Contributions address emerging technologies such as stimuli-responsive polymers, bioinspired and biomimetic designs, hybrid polymer–inorganic systems, and advanced fabrication techniques including microfluidics and controlled self-assembly.

A central theme is the translation of these engineered particles into next-generation nanomedicine. Research and review articles examining their use in targeted and sustained drug delivery, gene and nucleic acid transport, immunomodulation, imaging and theranostics, minimally invasive treatments, and tissue engineering are of interest. In addition, special attention is given to the integration of specific ligand-functionalized polymeric nanocarriers for targeted therapy approaches, and smart polymer particles sensitive to different stimuli, such as pH, temperature, light, etc., from in vitro to in vivo investigations.

By bringing together interdisciplinary research from materials science, chemistry, biology, and clinical engineering, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how engineered polymeric particles are shaping the future of nanomedicine. The insights presented here not only demonstrate the remarkable progress in the field, but also outline remaining challenges and promising directions for translating polymer-based nanotechnologies from the laboratory to real-world nanomedicine solutions.

Prof. Dr. Leonard Ionut Atanase
Guest Editor

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