Nanoparticles as Multifunctional Drug-Delivery Systems: A Comprehensive Review and Integration into Interventional...

Nanoparticles hold considerable promise for enhancing image-guided treatment for localized cancer therapy. Traditional intra-arterial approaches such as transarterial chemoembolization often suffer from limited drug retention and induction of tumor hypoxia, triggering resistance and metastasis. Conversely, nanoparticles enable higher local drug concentrations and targeted delivery through passive and active mechanisms, potentially overcoming intratumoral heterogeneity. Moreover, these versatile platforms can incorporate imaging agents, allowing theranostic applications that integrate treatment and real-time monitoring. Nanoparticles can also be engineered for stimulus-responsive drug release, which reacts to features such as acidity or external triggers (eg, light and ultrasound [US]), to further improve spatiotemporal control. Beyond chemotherapy, immunomodulatory nanoparticles show promise in reshaping the tumor microenvironment and enhancing immunotherapy outcomes. Emerging research includes nanoparticle-mediated in vivo gene editing for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment, demonstrating the potential for synergy between advanced particle design and image-guided delivery. This review discusses these advancements, highlighting current challenges and envisioning future directions for clinical translation.