Innovative nanomedicine strategies for precision-controlled targeted drug delivery: recent preclinical progress

Abstract

Nanomedicine has emerged as a transformative strategy for precision-controlled drug delivery. It addresses key limitations of conventional therapeutics such as poor tissue selectivity, rapid degradation, and systemic toxicity. By employing nanoscale carriers (including lipid-based systems, polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic nanostructures, biomimetic vesicles, and hybrid platforms), researchers have developed multifunctional delivery systems capable of enhancing pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and therapeutic index. Beyond passive accumulation through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, modern nanocarriers integrate active ligand-mediated targeting, stimuli-responsive release mechanisms, and multilevel strategies that enable spatial, temporal, and cellular precision. Recent preclinical in vivo studies across oncology, central nervous system, and vascular disease models demonstrate significantly improved target-site accumulation, sustained drug release, and reduced off-target toxicity compared with free drug formulations. Advances in organelle-specific targeting, combination therapies, and theranostic platforms further highlight the expanding versatility of nanomedicine. However, translational barriers, including biological heterogeneity, limited predictive power of animal models, safety concerns, and manufacturing scalability, continue to challenge clinical implementation. Emerging solutions such as AI-guided nanoparticle design, humanized disease models, and organ-on-chip systems aim to bridge these gaps. Collectively, current preclinical evidence supports nanomedicine as a central pillar of precision drug delivery, with future progress expected to focus on adaptive, multifunctional, and patient-specific platforms that align with the principles of personalized medicine.