Modern Nanotechnology Approaches for Drug Delivery: Recent Progress and Emerging Opportunities

Abstract

Nanotechnology has emerged as a transformative force in the field of drug delivery, offering innovative solutions to longstanding challenges, including poor bioavailability, off-target effects, and multidrug resistance. By enabling the design of nanoscale carriers that can encapsulate, protect, and precisely release therapeutic agents, this technology has the potential to revolutionise how drugs are administered and function within the human body. This review explores the diverse array of nanocarriers currently under investigation or in clinical use, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, solid lipid nanoparticles, and inorganic nanostructures such as gold nanoparticles and quantum dots. Each of these platforms possesses unique physicochemical properties that can be tailored for specific therapeutic applications, ranging from oncology and infectious diseases to neurological and autoimmune disorders. Recent breakthroughs in targeted drug delivery, including stimuli-responsive nanocarriers and surface functionalisation with ligands for active targeting, have significantly enhanced the precision and efficacy of treatments. Several nanotechnology-based formulations have advanced to clinical trials or received regulatory approval, underscoring the growin clinical relevance of this field. Despite these advances, key challenges remain, including issues of large-scale manufacturing, longterm biocompatibility, and regulatory hurdles. Addressing these barriers is crucial for the broader translation of nanotechnologybased drug delivery systems from the bench to the bedside. Future directions point toward the integration of artificial intelligence and personalised medicine with nanotechnology to create more innovative, adaptive delivery platforms tailored to individual patient profiles.