Hydrogel Nanoparticles as Advanced Platforms for Targeted and Controlled Cancer Drug Delivery

Hydrogel nanoparticles (HNPs) represent a rapidly advancing class of drug delivery systems with strong potential in cancer therapy. Their highly hydrated polymeric structure enables efficient encapsulation of diverse therapeutic agents while ensuring biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties. By responding to physiological and tumor-specific stimuli such as pH, temperature, and enzymatic activity, HNPs can deliver drugs in a controlled and localized manner, reducing systemic toxicity and enhancing treatment outcomes. Additionally, passive targeting through enhanced permeability and retention, together with surface modification using ligands for active targeting, supports improved selectivity toward tumor tissues and contributes to overcoming multidrug resistance. Despite these advantages, challenges including scalable synthesis, long-term stability, and variability in drug release kinetics still limit clinical translation. Continued development in material engineering and integration with advanced therapeutic strategies is expected to accelerate the application of HNPs as a promising platform in next-generation precision oncology.

کلیدواژه ها:

Hydrogel nanoparticles ، Targeted drug delivery ، Stimuli-responsive systems ، Cancer therapy ، Nanomedicine