Nanotechnology Advancements in Breast Cancer Therapy: A Comprehensive Review of Innovations in Drug Delivery, Diagnostics, and Personalized
Treatment Strategies
Aug 2026· Current Cancer Therapy Reviews· 0 citations
TL;DR
This comprehensive review provides details on nanocarriers and their loaded delivery systems as effective strategies for breast cancer treatment and provides an updated synthesis of nanocarrier-based approaches, focusing on recent clinical and preclinical innovations in drug delivery, diagnostics, and personalized medicine.
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. Compared to its
incidence, the cure rate remains relatively low. Various treatment methods, such as radiotherapy and
chemotherapy, are available but often involve severe toxicity and limited curability. Recent research
has shown that NDDS formulations can selectively target breast cancer cells without damaging surrounding
tissues or organs. This comprehensive review provides details on nanocarriers and their
loaded delivery systems as effective strategies for breast cancer treatment. Anti-neoplastic agents
and phytoconstituents are often combined and formulated into nanocarrier systems to enhance solubility,
increase half-life and biodistribution, and reduce adverse effects and immunogenicity. This
review highlights the necessity and advantages of nanocarriers and their formulations as potential
next-generation tools for safe, preventive, and maximally effective breast cancer therapy. Additionally,
it provides an updated synthesis of nanocarrier-based approaches, focusing on recent clinical
and preclinical innovations in drug delivery, diagnostics, and personalized medicine.
Despite improvements in screening and treatment, breast cancer is still one of the most common cancers diagnosed in women globally and a major cause of cancer-related death. Although 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine derivative, has long been used in systemic treatments for breast cancer, its low oral bioavailability, dose-limiting toxicities, and acquired resistance restrict its clinical efficacy. By enhancing drug stability, permitting controlled and stimuli-responsive release, and facilitating both passive and active tumor targeting, nanocarrier-based delivery platforms such as lipid-based systems, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, nanogels, inorganic nanostructures, and hybrid nanoplatforms offer promising ways to get around these restrictions. This review synthesizes recent high-impact literature on nanocarrier-mediated delivery of 5-FU for breast cancer, covering pharmacological considerations, nanocarrier classes, targeted and co-delivery approaches, stimuli-responsive designs, challenges to clinical translation, and emerging trends such as personalized nanomedicine and AI-guided carrier optimization.
Nisha, Nitish Kumar· GLOBAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUT...· 0 citations
Breast cancer, one of the leading cancer types, directly contributes to cancer‐related mortality, but new therapies are required to improve treatment efficiency. Nanoparticle‐based strategies have already introduced the most radical advances in this regard, from their first formulation through their development to the next generation as promising candidates. The present review provides an overview of nanoparticle‐based strategies in breast cancer, their development, and their state of the art. The review addresses the diverse formulation of nanoparticles, including liposomes, dendrimers, and metallic nanoparticles, as well as their respective roles in drug delivery: bioavailability, focused therapeutic intervention, and lower systemic toxicity. This review covers studies on the engineering of nanoparticles for improved drug delivery, including cancer‐targeted delivery to tumors and optimization within the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, new nanosized drugs may also be utilized for novel modification of nanoparticle composition for combination therapeutics, which allows pharmacological agents to enter the tumor microenvironment by combined treatment with diverse types of other agents, to provide a synergistic, effective treatment in real time, in addition to real‐time monitoring. Stimuli‐responsive nanoparticles, which release the drug according to the appropriate stimulus signal to provide greater accuracy and regulation in delivering the drug, are also under investigation. This review notes trends in personalized nanomedicine and nanoparticle‐mediated immunotherapy that target personalized patient and immune responses, among others. Other exciting areas for nanoparticle research include AI‐based optimal design and sustainable biodegradable materials aimed at maintaining nanoparticle safety. Nanoparticle‐based therapies are a unique new frontier in breast cancer therapy. They have considerable clinical potential, offer promise for patient‐specific treatment, and warrant further investigation in breast cancer, particularly in advanced targeting mechanisms, multifunctional approaches, and individualized interventions.
Sina M Matalqah, Laila M Matalqah, A. R. Al Tawaha et al.· International Journal of Bre...· 2 citations
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide despite substantial advances in diagnosis and treatment. Conventional therapeutic approaches, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy, are often limited by poor tumor selectivity, systemic toxicity, multidrug resistance, and inadequate drug accumulation at the disease site. Nanomedicine has emerged as a transformative strategy in oncology, offering innovative solutions for targeted drug delivery, improved pharmacokinetics, enhanced therapeutic efficacy, and reduced off-target toxicity. Owing to their unique physicochemical properties, nanoparticles can be engineered to overcome biological barriers associated with tumor progression and facilitate precise delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents. This review comprehensively discusses the fundamental principles of cancer nanomedicine, including tumor biology, barriers to drug delivery, and critical design considerations for nanocarrier development. Various classes of nanomaterials, including polymeric nanoparticles, lipid-based systems, inorganic nanomaterials, and emerging biomimetic platforms, are examined with respect to their structural characteristics, therapeutic applications, and translational potential. Particular emphasis is placed on tumor-targeting strategies, encompassing passive, active, and microenvironment-responsive approaches, as well as on the development of smart stimuli-responsive nanocarriers capable of controlled, site-specific drug release. Furthermore, recent advances in nanotechnology-enabled chemotherapy, combination therapy, gene and RNA delivery, immuno-nanomedicine, and theranostic platforms are highlighted. The integration of diagnostic imaging and therapeutic functions within multifunctional nanocarriers has enabled real-time monitoring of treatment response and personalized cancer management. In addition, challenges associated with safety, toxicity, large-scale manufacturing, regulatory approval, and clinical translation are critically evaluated. Emerging innovations, including artificial intelligence-driven nanocarrier design, biomimetic nanomedicines, and precision oncology approaches, are also explored as future directions for the field.Overall, cancer nanomedicine has evolved from a simple drug-delivery concept into a multifunctional therapeutic platform integrating targeted therapy, molecular imaging, immunomodulation, gene therapy, and personalized medicine. Continued interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation are expected to accelerate the clinical translation of next-generation nanomedicines, ultimately improving treatment outcomes and advancing precision cancer care.
Fouzan Arif Mulla Mulla, Mo Saad Sanaullah Khan Khan, Irfan Nizamuddin Mansuri Mansuri et al.· Journal of Pharmacology, Gen...· 0 citations
An up-to-date summary of the use of nanomaterials in lung cancer therapy is provided by categorising various types of nanocarriers, discussing their mechanisms for circumventing physiological barriers and emphasizing their role in the development of next-generation therapies, especially immunotherapy and molecular diagnostics (theranostics).
Ramaraj Rajesh Kumar, I. V. Enoch· Lung Cancer· 0 citations
Breast cancer is among the most common cancers globally. While several advancements have been made to improve breast cancer management, there is still a need to find innovative ways to deliver drug therapy to improve efficacy and side effects associated with treatment. Among these methods, local and targeted drug delivery is particularly promising. The current review highlights localized polymer-based methods to effectively deliver breast cancer therapy, with a specific focus on the strengths and limitations of these systems. Injectable and surgically implanted scaffolds, microneedles, topical patches, liquid and semisolid topical drug carriers are amongst some of the delivery systems discussed. Highlighted in the discussion is how physiological changes that occur during breast cancer should be considered and utilized when developing drug formulations, by specifically exploiting the tumor microenvironment. Remaining gaps and future areas for drug delivery research are highlighted including personalized medicine and insights into novel drug delivery systems like nanomedicines and three-dimensional drug printing.
Emma A Kean, Oluwatoyin A. Adeleke· TARGETS· 0 citations
The recent developments, therapeutic applications, challenges, and future perspectives of Nanoparticle based cancer drug delivery systems are summarized.
H. G, Mohammed Fazil K, R. Palaniswamy· International Journal of Cur...· 0 citations