Preclinical and clinical trials in nanotech skin cancer treatment

Skin cancer continues to be a major and increasing health problem all over the world, with increasing incidence rates of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Conventional therapeutic treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are often limited by systemic toxicity, poor selectivity, and issues with drug resistance. Nanotechnology offers innovative strategies to address these limitations by enabling targeted drug delivery, reducing off-target side effects, and enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Various nanocarrier formulations, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles (especially gold and silver), dendrimers and hybrids, are described for enhancing drug solubility, targeted delivery to specific sites and combination therapy. These platforms show promise in both topical and systemic administration for melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Preclinical studies have suggested that nanocarriers facilitate increased drug accumulation in tumor tissue, controlled release kinetics, and lower systemic toxicity. In vitro and in vivo studies, especially utilizing cell line and animal models, illustrate enhanced anti-tumor efficacy, immune modulation, and synergistic effects when multiple agents are co-delivered. Clinical trials primarily focus on adapting nanomedicine platforms, originally designed for other cancers, to skin cancer treatment. Examples include liposomal formulations like doxorubicin, nanoemulsion-based gels, and polymeric micelles. Early data suggest improved safety, higher local drug concentrations, and lower adverse effects compared to conventional drugs, but full regulatory approval specific to skin cancer is pending. The review emphasizes the main obstacles in translation, such as interspecies variation of response, technical challenges of making large quantities at scale, worries about long-term toxicity, red-tape and high development costs. However, personalized nanomedicine, AI incorporation, and theranostic nanocarriers provide a bright future to overcome these challenges. In conclusion, nanotechnology-enabled approaches show the potential to revolutionize skin cancer treatment through their ability to address challenges associated with conventional therapies and provide opportunities for specific, safe and efficient patient management. Continued interdisciplinary investigations and strong clinical verification will be necessary for their effective translation into routine practice.