Nanomaterials for Multimodal Cancer Therapy

The field of nanomaterials for multimodal cancer therapy has rapidly advanced at the convergence of nanotechnology, oncology, materials science, and precision medicine. Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, demanding strategies beyond monotherapies such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery. Engineered nanomaterials, metallic nanoparticles, polymeric nanocarriers, hybrids, and biomimetic systems integrate diagnostics with therapies such as chemo-photothermal, photodynamic, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and radiotherapy, enabling synergy, precise targeting, controlled release, reduced toxicity, and theranostics.Recent advances have demonstrated the potential of nanomaterials to enable synergistic multimodal therapies, including chemo-photothermal, chemo-photodynamic, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and radiotherapy combinations. These systems offer enhanced targeting efficiency, controlled drug release, reduced systemic toxicity, and improved therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, innovations in surface functionalization, ligand conjugation, and stimuli-responsive designs have facilitated precise tumor targeting and real-time monitoring through theranostic approaches. However, despite these promising preclinical results, significant challenges remain in understanding nano-bio interactions, immune responses, the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, scalability, and clinical translation.This Research Topic aims to advance nanomaterial design, development, and translation for multimodal cancer therapy. It emphasizes integrating therapeutic functions, boosting targeting specificity, and surmounting biological and clinical barriers. In view of this, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Design and synthesis of multifunctional nanomaterials (metallic, polymeric, lipid-based, hybrid, and biomimetic systems)• Multimodal therapeutic strategies: chemo-photothermal, photodynamic, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and radiotherapy combinations• Stimuli-responsive and smart nanoplatforms (pH, temperature, light, magnetic, enzyme-responsive systems)• Targeted drug delivery, ligand engineering, and tumor microenvironment-responsive systems• Theranostics: integration of imaging (MRI, CT, fluorescence, PET) with therapy• Nano-bio interactions, protein corona formation, toxicity, and immunological responses• AI and machine learning in nanomaterial design, optimization, and predictive modelling• Tumor microenvironment modulation and overcoming drug resistance• Clinical translation, scalability, regulatory challenges, and manufacturing strategies• Ethical considerations and long-term safety of nanomedicine in oncologyWe invite manuscripts of the following types: Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Perspectives demonstrating either fundamental advances or translational work toward real-world biomedical remediation. Topic editors: Jagriti Gupta, Wen Yang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79716/nanomaterials-for-multimodal-cancer-therapy