Nanomedicine offers a promising frontier in cancer therapy, reshaping how anti-cancer agents are delivered, targeted, and monitored. By exploiting the unique physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles, this field has enabled enhanced precision in tumor targeting, improved pharmacokinetics, and reduced systemic toxicity. Applications extend from chemotherapeutic delivery and gene modulation to tumor imaging and immune activation. Despite these advancements, clinical translation remains limited. Key barriers include the biological complexity and heterogeneity of tumors, poor nanoparticle penetration in solid tumors, and unresolved questions around long-term biocompatibility and off-target effects. Understanding the interaction between nanoparticles and the tumor microenvironment is essential for developing safer, more effective therapeutic strategies.

This Research Topic aims to explore how nanomedicine can address fundamental pharmacological and biological challenges in cancer therapy by improving drug delivery, therapeutic targeting, and treatment efficacy. It focuses on the design and evaluation of nanoparticle-based systems for delivering chemotherapeutics, gene-modulating agents (e.g., RNA interference, CRISPR/Cas), and immunotherapeutics (e.g., checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines) in a tumor-specific manner. Emphasis is placed on how nanomedicine addresses drug resistance, alters pharmacokinetics, and enables controlled release to reduce systemic toxicity. Studies that investigate the pharmacodynamics, biodistribution, and metabolic impact of nanocarriers in preclinical models are particularly encouraged.
The Topic also welcomes innovative approaches combining nanotechnology with existing treatments—such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or photothermal therapy—to enhance anti-tumor efficacy. By aligning with current challenges in oncology pharmacology, this collection seeks to promote translational strategies that optimize the therapeutic index of anti-cancer agents using nanotechnology to guide future translational and clinical developments.

To address these pressing issues and further delineate the scope of research, the following themes are particularly encouraged:
- Nanoparticle delivery systems for chemotherapeutics, gene modulators (e.g., siRNA, CRISPR/Cas), or combination therapies to reprogram tumor behaviour (e.g. overcome drug resistance)
- Nano-immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors or cancer vaccines, to modulate and enhance anti-tumor immune responses
- Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiling of nanocarriers, including studies on biodistribution, circulation time, and tumor penetration in preclinical cancer models
- Combinatorial strategies integrating nanomedicines to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce off-target effects.
- Toxicological evaluation and metabolic impact of nanomedicines, including long-term biocompatibility, tissue accumulation, and off-target interactions with healthy organs and immune cells.

Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases that are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of the scope of this Research Topic.

Please note the following conflict of interest disclosures for Prof. Mauro Ferrari:
- Affiliated with BrYet US, Inc. of Houston, Texas.
- Affiliated with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals of Pasadena, California.

Dr. Athina Angelopoulou declared no conflict of interest.

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Nanomedicine in Cancer Therapy: Advances and Challenges