Biomaterial-based Drug delivery strategies for head and neck cancer: Local delivery, combination therapy, and...

Head and neck cancer, particularly head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, remains difficult to treat because of local recurrence, treatment-related morbidity, and the limited efficacy of systemic drug delivery. Biomaterial-based delivery systems have emerged as useful tools to improve local drug retention, control release kinetics, and support combination treatment. Hydrogels, nanoparticles, liposomes, microneedles, and implantable systems have been explored for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents, radiosensitizers, immunotherapeutics, and nucleic acids in head and neck cancer. This review summarizes recent progress in biomaterial-based drug delivery strategies, with a focus on local delivery and combination therapy. We discuss the major biomaterial platforms, their therapeutic applications, and the practical challenges that affect clinical translation, including tumor heterogeneity, dosing reproducibility, biocompatibility, and manufacturability. Overall, biomaterials represent a promising but still developing approach for improving treatment delivery and multimodal therapy in head and neck cancer.