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

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nanotechnology has emerged as a revolutionary paradigm in modern medicine, particularly in rewriting the rules of therapeutic delivery. Traditional drug delivery methods frequently encounter significant pharmacokinetics drawbacks, including poor aqueous solubility, narrow therapeutic index, non-specific bio distribution, and high systemic toxicity. This comprehensive review paper systematically explores recent advancements in nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems (NDDS), outlining their architectural classifications, functionalization strategies, and targeted delivery mechanisms. We provide a detailed examination of organic, inorganic, and hybrid nanomaterials—such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, and metal organic frameworks (MOFs)—and analyze their deployment against complex pathologies like cancer, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases. Furthermore, we deliberate on stimulus-responsive systems triggered by internal 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 smart nanomedicine. Through comprehensive literature evaluation and structured comparative matrices, this study serves as a core resource for engineering enhanced multi-functional therapeutic architectures.

KEYWORDS: Nanotechnology; Targeted Drug Delivery; Liposomes; Polymeric Nanoparticles; Stimuli-Responsive Carriers; Theranostics; Translational Medicine.