Development of multifunctional nanomaterials for advanced theranostic applications in skin cancer

Skin cancer is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with increasing incidence and limited therapeutic efficacy from conventional treatments due to poor specificity, inadequate drug penetration, and resistance. Nanomaterial-based platforms have emerged as promising strategies to address these challenges by enabling precise diagnosis and targeted therapy. This review summarizes recent advances in nanomaterial-mediated theranostics for skin cancer, including organic, inorganic, and biomimetic or hybrid nanosystems. Their roles in enhancing drug delivery through passive and active targeting, improving transdermal penetration, and enabling controlled release are highlighted. Emerging diagnostic approaches based on nanotechnology, such as imaging and biosensing, are also discussed for sensitive and noninvasive detection. In addition, nanoplatform-enabled multimodal therapies that integrate chemotherapy, phototherapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy are presented, with particular emphasis on microneedle-assisted transdermal systems. Despite the remaining challenges in terms of biosafety, scalability, and clinical translation, nanomaterials offer significant potential for advancing precise and personalized skin cancer management.