Intelligent Nanomedicine: AI-Driven Smart Carrier Design for Precision Skin Cancer Therapy

Skin cancer, one of the most common malignancies globally, continues to present major therapeutic hurdles such as limited drug penetration, high systemic toxicity, and tumor recurrence. Nanomedicine has emerged as a powerful approach to overcome these challenges by enabling targeted, localized, and controlled drug delivery. Within this framework, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way smart carriers are designed and optimized, moving drug development from trial-and-error to predictive, data-driven strategies. AI algorithms, including machine learning and deep learning, can predict drug-nanocarrier interactions, optimize particle size and surface chemistry for dermal penetration, and simulate release kinetics tailored to the tumor microenvironment. Intelligent nanocarriers developed with AI assistance also facilitate combination therapies such as chemo-, immuno-, and photodynamic therapy, offering synergistic benefits against resistant skin cancers. Furthermore, AI enables the personalization of treatment by analyzing patient-specific genomic and clinical data, guiding the creation of safer and more effective nanomedicine formulations. Despite these promising advancements, significant barriers remain in terms of data quality, model validation, and regulatory acceptance of AI-driven nanomedicine. Nonetheless, the convergence of AI and smart carrier technology represents a paradigm shift in precision oncology. This review uniquely emphasizes AI-guided nanocarrier design, optimization, and personalization specifically for skin cancer therapy, distinguishing it from broader AI-oncology reviews by focusing on smart drug-delivery systems rather than general diagnostic or predictive modeling applications.