Nanocarriers for Cancer: Advancing Treatment Strategies Through Membrane Dynamics

Nanocarriers have emerged as powerful tools in cancer therapy, offering targeted, efficient, and minimally invasive treatment options. These nano-sized delivery systems—ranging from liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles to dendrimers and exosomes—are designed to transport therapeutic agents directly to tumor sites, reducing systemic toxicity and improving treatment outcomes. One of the critical mechanisms by which nanocarriers enhance their efficacy lies in their interaction with cellular membranes.

Understanding membrane dynamics is central to optimizing nanocarrier design. Cancer cell membranes often exhibit altered lipid compositions, receptor expressions, and endocytic activity, all of which can be exploited to improve nanocarrier uptake and intracellular drug release. For instance, tailoring nanocarrier surface properties—such as charge, hydrophobicity, or ligand presentation—can facilitate membrane binding and trigger endocytosis. Once internalized, membrane fusion or disruption mechanisms can be used to release therapeutic cargo directly into the cytoplasm, bypassing degradation in lysosomes.

Furthermore, the tumor microenvironment, characterized by leaky vasculature and abnormal extracellular matrix, provides unique opportunities for passive and active targeting strategies. By engineering nanocarriers that respond to specific membrane signals or environmental cues—like pH or redox gradients—researchers can fine-tune drug delivery with remarkable precision.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research Articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Perspectives, Commentaries, Data Notes, and Technical Notes, but is not limited to the following areas

• Design of nanocarriers that interact with tumor-specific membrane features

• Mechanisms of membrane-mediated nanocarrier uptake and cargo release

• Role of membrane fusion, disruption, or endocytosis in therapeutic delivery

• Exploiting tumor microenvironment and membrane signals for targeted delivery

• Translational and clinical studies integrating membrane biology with nanomedicine

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This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Nanocarriers, Membranes Endocytosis, Targeting Theranostics

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