Mannosylated nanocarriers: a precision targeting strategy for tumors and infectious diseases

Conventional chemotherapy often suffers from systemic toxicity, suboptimal efficacy, and drug resistance due to the non-specific distribution of drugs in the treatment of tumors and infectious diseases. Mannose-functionalized nanodelivery systems present a promising precision-targeting strategy to overcome these challenges. The core of this strategy lies in leveraging the high expression of C-type mannose receptors (MR, CD206) on the surface of various tumor cells, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Not only do mannose-functionalized nanocarriers achieve precise drug delivery to specific cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis, but they also actively modulate the tumor immune microenvironment. This modulation occurs by activating antigen presentation mechanisms, thereby enhancing the host's immune response. Consequently, this system exhibits immense potential for intervention in both malignant tumors and infectious diseases. This review systematically summarizes nanodelivery platforms integrated with mannose-targeted strategies. Furthermore, it explores their recent advances and future application perspectives in combination with diverse therapeutic modalities, including chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy.