Advanced drug delivery systems for oral squamous cell carcinoma: a comprehensive review of nanotechnology-based and other innovative approaches

Oral cancer, particularly oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), poses significant challenges due to its aggressiveness, high metastatic potential, and resistance to conventional therapies. Recent advancements in drug delivery systems (DDS), including nanotechnology, intelligent hydrogels, lipid nanop...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers in Drug Delivery Vol. 5
Main Authors Herrada Céspedes, Alain, Reyes, Montserrat, Morales, Javier O.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Frontiers Media S.A 27.06.2025
Subjects
Drug Delivery
drug delivery systems
intelligent hydrogels
lipid nanoparticles
nanotechnology
oral cancer
oral squamous cell carcinoma
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Summary:Oral cancer, particularly oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), poses significant challenges due to its aggressiveness, high metastatic potential, and resistance to conventional therapies. Recent advancements in drug delivery systems (DDS), including nanotechnology, intelligent hydrogels, lipid nanoparticles, and photodynamic therapy (PDT), offer innovative solutions for targeted treatment. These DDS utilize tumor-specific stimuli, such as pH variations, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enzymatic activity, to achieve precise drug release while minimizing systemic toxicity. Cutting-edge technologies, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and artificial intelligence (AI), are enhancing the precision and personalization of DDS. Combination therapies integrating chemotherapy, PDT, and immunotherapy show promise in overcoming current limitations. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in scalability, patient-specific customization, and safety assessments. This review synthesizes the state-of-the-art in DDS for OSCC, highlighting future directions and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to improve therapeutic outcomes and patient quality of life.
Bibliography:Edited by: Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
Reviewed by: Taskeen Janjua, The University of Queensland, Australia
Vivekanand Kattimani, SIBAR Institute of Dental Sciences, India
ISSN:2674-0850
2674-0850
DOI:10.3389/fddev.2025.1596964