Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Nanotechnology has emerged as a revolutionary paradigm in modernmedicine, particularly in rewriting the rules of therapeutic delivery. Traditional drug delivery methods frequently encounter significant pharmacokinetics drawbacks, including poor aqueous solubility, narrowtherapeutic index, non-specific bio distribution, and high systemic toxicity.This comprehensive review paper systematically explores recentadvancements in nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems (NDDS),outlining their architectural classifications, functionalization strategies, andtargeted delivery mechanisms. We provide a detailed examination of organic, inorganic, and hybrid nanomaterials—such as liposomes, polymericnanoparticles, dendrimers, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—and analyze their deployment against complexpathologies like cancer, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases.Furthermore, we deliberate on stimulus-responsive systems triggered byinternal micro environmental prompts (pH, enzymes, redox states) or external modalities (magnetic fields, light, ultrasound). This paper also identifies the existing bench-to-bedside translational bottlenecks, including nanotoxicity, scalability, regulatory hurdles, and reproducibility challenges, concluding with actionable perspectives on the future of personalized smartnanomedicine. Through comprehensive literature evaluation and structuredcomparative matrices, this study serves as a core resource for engineeringenhanced multi-functional therapeutic architectures. KEYWORDS: Nanotechnology; Targeted Drug Delivery; Liposomes;Polymeric Nanoparticles; Stimuli-Responsive Carriers; Theranostics;Translational Medicine.