Exploiting Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery Strategies

Tumor-targeted drug delivery has emerged as a cornerstone of modern oncology, offering pathways to deliver therapeutics with greater precision while mitigating systemic side effects. Notable progress has been achieved with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which unite the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with potent cytotoxic agents through advanced linker chemistries. Parallel developments in smart nanocarriers engineered for enhanced permeability, controlled release, and sensitivity to internal or external stimuli have further strengthened clinical outcomes. Recent strides in Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) engineering have expanded their utility beyond hematological cancers, with ongoing efforts aimed at improving homing to solid tumors, modulating the stromal microenvironment, and promoting deeper penetration through extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. In addition, emerging technologies are redefining how therapeutic responses are predicted and monitored. Patient-derived organoids offer biologically relevant platforms to capture tumor heterogeneity for individualized drug-screening studies, while liquid biopsy tools enable dynamic and minimally invasive assessment of tumor evolution through circulating biomarkers. Collectively, these innovations are driving a new era of precision oncology. This chapter provides an integrated overview of current tumor-targeted delivery strategies, highlights transformative breakthroughs, and discusses critical opportunities that will guide future translational and clinical advancements.