Revolutionizing drug delivery: The power of stimulus-responsive nanoscale systems

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2024-09, Vol.496, p.154265, Article 154265
• Main Authors: Hu, Shumeng, Zhao, Runan, Shen, Yue, Lyu, Bo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer; Chronic diseases; Nanoscale drug delivery systems; Stimulus-responsive
• ISSN: 1385-8947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2024.154265

[Display omitted] •Nanoscale drug delivery systems enhance precision and minimize toxicity.•Review covers innovative designs of stimuli-responsive NDDS.•Focus on applications in treating chronic diseases and various cancers.•Discusses scalability and biocompatibility challenges in NDDS development.•Provides strategic guidance for future research in drug delivery technologies. In recent years, the rapid evolution of nanotechnology has led researchers to increasingly concentrate on the creation of multifunctional and controllable intelligent drug delivery systems. These nanoscale drug delivery systems (NDDS) have significantly improved the efficacy of treatments for chronic diseases and various forms of cancer by meticulously designing features that prolong drug circulation times, enhance metabolic rates, and markedly decrease the toxicity associated with systemic distribution. However, despite the notable clinical achievements of NDDS, their immediate and long-term impacts on human health still necessitate further validation through comprehensive clinical trials. This review highlights the most recent advancements in NDDS that respond to both external and internal stimuli, including physical (temperature, light, and ultrasound), chemical (pH and reactive oxygen species), biological (enzyme and glucose), and multimodal stimuli. It explores in-depth the application of these technologies in treating conditions such as diabetes wounds, periodontitis, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancers, including oral and colon cancer, showcasing the most cutting-edge and exemplary stimulus-responsive NDDS. These discussions aim to establish a scientific foundation and provide strategic guidance for future research and development in the domain of drug delivery.