Polymeric Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery in Cancer and Infectious Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Targeted drug delivery using polymeric nanoparticles has emerged as a transformative strategy in the treatment of complex diseases such as cancer and bacterial infections. By harnessing the structural flexibility, biocompatibility, and tuneable surface properties of natural and synthetic polymers, nanodrug delivery systems can significantly enhance the selectivity, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic profiles of therapeutic agents while minimizing systemic toxicity.

In oncology, polymeric nanocarriers like PLGA, PEGylated nanoparticles, dendrimers, and micelles have shown promise in delivering chemotherapeutics, siRNA, and immunomodulators directly to tumour cells via passive and active targeting. In infectious disease management, especially biofilm-associated bacterial infections, nanoparticles can disrupt protective microbial environments and deliver antimicrobial agents in a sustained and localized manner.

This Special Issue invites original research and comprehensive review articles on recent advances in nanoformulated polymeric drug delivery platforms, including formulation techniques, surface functionalization, targeted delivery strategies, stimuli-responsive release, in vivo imaging, and translational/clinical applications. Studies combining computational modelling, AI-driven drug carrier design, and multi-omics integration for precision medicine are also welcome.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Polymeric nanoparticles (PLGA, chitosan, PEG, etc.) for drug delivery.
• Ligand-targeted nanocarriers (antibodies, peptides, and aptamers).
• Nanoformulations for cancer therapy (chemo-, immuno-, and gene therapy).
• Polymeric nanocarriers for bacterial and biofilm-associated infections.
• Dual- or multi-drug-loaded polymer systems.
• Stimuli-responsive and smart polymeric systems (pH-, redox-, and enzyme-sensitive).
• Biodegradable polymers and toxicity assessment.
• Computational modelling and AI in nanocarrier design.
• Clinical translation and regulatory aspects of polymeric drug delivery.
• In vivo imaging and biodistribution studies of nanodrugs.

Dr. Chaitany Raorane
Dr. Vinit Raj
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.