Editorial: Nano-preparations in the design of drug delivery systems

Nano-based drug delivery systems have been leveraged to overcome numerous obstacles associated with conventional therapeutic design, thereby improving drug stability, transport, and targeted localization in biological systems (1). These nano-formulations are poised at the unique crossroads of materials chemistry, bioengineering, and pharmacokinetic design; as such, they have been developed from basic, passive delivery systems to active, site-targeting systems with stimulus-response release kinetics and multi-modal therapeutic action (2). In modern science, the general concept of nano-preparations as "intelligent" carriers is introduced, along with specific examples of nanoparticle (NP) design and their application in various therapeutic modalities and drug administration pathways. There is a long list of engineered nanopreparations, with corresponding achievements.The aim of this research topic is to present and discuss recent advancements that demonstrate the translational potential of physicochemical tuning of nanocarriers for enhanced drug delivery. In this Research Topic, the panel of invited expert authors presents state-of-the-art examples of how new generations of NP "intelligent carriers" can be designed and potentially utilized in therapeutics. In brief, it is assumed that the next big thing in drug delivery is not so much about delivery as it is about tunability. Therefore, toxicity, pharmacokinetics (PK), and regulatory assessment should also be tunable accordingly. In addition, since we, as research scientists, are accountable for our "intelligent materials," we should always be prepared to scale up for manufacturing in an economically accessible way and design with patients' safety in mind in the clinic. We hope that the collection of articles in this Research Topic will serve as useful examples for designing and utilizing new tunable generations of nano-preparations in therapeutics.The manuscripts and reviews collected in this Research Topic explain that nano-preparations have evolved from conventional drug carriers to smart, stimuli-responsive, and multifunctional systems. In brief, the unifying theme of this collection of research items is the design and development of technologically advanced, biocompatible, and sustainable nanoscale drug delivery vehicles applicable to a wide range of therapeutic areas. Each of the exclusive works presented in this collection is positioned at the intersection of materials science and translational medicine. In all these articles, it is noted that recent progress in the design of nanocarriers enables us to shift the paradigm of drug delivery by providing controlled release kinetics, site-targeted action, and stimulus-responsiveness. These studies, which range from magnetic hybrid systems and pH-sensitive liposomes to quercetin self-assembled antiviral nanoparticles and nanobubble-based delivery platforms, constitute a compendium of the most innovative examples of precision drug delivery at the current frontier (Figure 1). Overall, these studies reflect a scientific community navigating the complex landscape of cutting-edge innovation, while also ensuring safety, scalability, and accessibility to address global healthcare needs. The wide-spectrum pharmacological properties of nanocarriers are not limited to the field of cancer. Besides, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges posed by this rapidly evolving global threat. Efforts to target multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants also demonstrated the potential for key design features, including surface chemistry and payload versatility, to be rapidly tuned to account for viral mutations (4). In this sense, Alvizo-Báez et al. prepared self-assembled nanoparticles of quercetin with the anti-SARS-CoV-2 molecules remdesivir and curcumin. In this study, nanoparticles are used as carriers for the co-loading of antiviral molecules to inhibit pseudovirus infection. Their work highlighted the potential of phytochemical-based nanosystems for antiviral therapy due to their high uptake into cells and their potential interaction (5).In a timely review, Awlqadr et al. provided a comprehensive perspective on nanobubble technology, with a particular focus on the delivery of drugs and nutraceuticals. Gas-filled nanobubbles can be utilized for controlled drug release, imaging, and long-term therapies in response to ultrasound stimuli, thereby bridging precision nanomedicine with industrial and environmental sustainability. However, Scalability, reproducibility, long-term stability, and safety evaluation are some of the issues that still need to be resolved as the area develops to convert laboratory progress into commercially viable goods (6).Zhu et al. reported a pH-sensitive nanosystem that is dual-loaded with Atractylenolide I (ATL-1) and Ce6. This system synergistically achieves the purpose of chemo-photothermal therapy on colorectal cancer by enhancing the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and photothermal conversion efficiency. It provides a new strategy for combining drug action based on dualfunctional liposomes, which break through biological barriers and improve antitumor efficiency (7).Taken together, this series of original articles, reviews, perspectives, and editorials reveals the emergence of a new landscape in nano-drug delivery research. The trends highlighted in each paper, specifically the growing appreciation for stimuli-responsiveness, multi-functionality, and biocompatibility in the development of next-generation therapeutics, are rapidly shaping the future of translational nanotechnology.With all the essential points in mind, however, several major problems remain to be solved by using these nano-preparations more regularly and with greater predictability in the clinic. These "problems," which are, in fact, still open topics for researchers worldwide, include, but are not limited to, optimal scale-up for industrial production, quality control issues (standardization of the proper and most important assessment parameters of NP therapeutics), and modern computational design using artificial intelligence for at least partly predictable design of the nanocarrier's properties and performance in therapeutics. These open issues, without a doubt, can only be solved through the strong efforts of a team of interdisciplinary specialists, including at least material scientists, cancer researchers, medicinal chemists, and regulatory scientists.We as guest editorialists for this Research Topic, would like to thank all the invited contributing authors, our reviewers, and editorial assistants for their excellent contribution to the Research Topic, which hopefully underpins the big idea of nano-preparations and therapeutics in general as not just a new technology for healthcare but also as a new step toward really intelligent, safe, and sustainable therapeutics.