Submission Tilte

Smart-Responsive Hybrid Nanocarriers for High-Precision Tumor Targeting

Submission Abstract

Recent advances in nanomedicine have accelerated the development of smart-responsive drug delivery systems designed to improve tumor selectivity, therapeutic efficacy, and safety profiles. Among these, dual-targeted and dual-responsive nanocarriers have emerged as promising platforms capable of responding to multiple biological or external stimuli, thereby enabling controlled and site-specific drug release. Compared with conventional nanocarriers, these systems enhance cellular internalization, improve spatiotemporal drug delivery, and minimize off-target toxicity. This thematic issue aims to highlight the latest developments in smart-responsive hybrid nanocarriers, particularly emerging nano-in-nanocarrier systems such as nanoparticle-in-nanofiber and liposome-in-nanofiber platforms. These advanced hybrid systems integrate multiple targeting and responsive mechanisms, where one carrier component may respond to external triggers such as ultraviolet (UV), near-infrared (NIR), magnetic, thermal, or pH stimuli, while the embedded nanosystem provides secondary or sequential responsiveness. Such multifunctional platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for high-precision tumor targeting and personalized cancer therapy. The issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, and perspectives focusing on the design, fabrication, characterization, biological evaluation, and translational potential of hybrid smart nanocarriers for cancer treatment. Topics may include stimuli-responsive materials, multifunctional nanoplatforms, tumor microenvironment-responsive systems, combinational therapies, image-guided drug delivery, theranostics, and clinical challenges associated with advanced nanocarrier technologies. This thematic issue seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of current innovations and future directions in hybrid responsive nanocarriers, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers in pharmaceutics, nanotechnology, biomaterials, oncology, and translational medicine.