Emerging Breakthroughs in Fusion Protein Technologies for the Management of Cancer

Cancer comprises a heterogeneous group of diseases characterised by uncontrolled cell proliferation and the ability to invade surrounding tissues. Globally, it remains a leading cause of mortality, with millions of new cases each year. Despite advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, current treatments often suffer from a lack of selectivity and systemic toxicities. Fusion proteins provide a means of combining functional domains from different proteins into a single polypeptide, thereby enabling precise targeting of tumour‑associated pathways and improved pharmacokinetic properties. In this article, the biology of cancer and the relevance of fusion protein technology are introduced, and emerging strategies-such as nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles (EVs), targeted therapy, gene therapy, magnetic hyperthermia, natural antioxidants, and radiomics/pathomics-are compared. A detailed overview of fusion protein design, biocompatibility, and mechanism of action is provided, together with a discussion of preclinical and clinical applications and a comparison with antitumour radiotherapy. The goal is to summarise current knowledge while highlighting the remaining challenges and future directions.