Emerging trends and future directions in microfluidic-assisted chitosan-based hydrogel nanoparticles for cancer...

Cancer immunotherapy has developed as a promising strategy that complements conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, its clinical success remains limited by inefficient drug delivery, systemic toxicity, inadequate tumor penetration and low patient response rates. Nanoparticle (NP)-based delivery systems provide a versatile approach to overcome these challenges and enable targeted and sustained delivery of immunotherapeutic agents. Chitosan-based hydrogel NPs represent one of the most effective choices due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility and intrinsic immunostimulatory properties that can enhance antigen uptake and T-cell activation. When combined with microfluidic synthesis techniques, these nanocarriers can be produced with high precision, reproducibility and controllable physicochemical properties. This review highlights the immunomodulatory potential of chitosan-based hydrogel NPs in cancer immunotherapy. It also demonstrates that NPs produced by microfluidics provide precise control over particle size and surface properties. This control increases uptake by immune cells and strengthens anti-tumor immune responses. Due to their ability to improve therapeutic efficacy, reduce systemic toxicity, and increase patient response, these NPs can significantly improve clinical outcomes in future cancer therapies.