Nanotechnology has the potential to circumvent several drawbacks of conventional therapeutic formulations. In fact, significant strides have been made towards the application of engineered nanomaterials for the treatment of cancer with high specificity, sensitivity and efficacy. Tailor-made nanomaterials functionalized with specific ligands can target cancer cells in a predictable manner and deliver encapsulated payloads effectively. Moreover, nanomaterials can also be designed for increased drug loading, improved half-life in the body, controlled release, and selective distribution by modifying their composition, size, morphology, and surface chemistry. To date, polymeric nanomaterials, metallic nanoparticles, carbon-based materials, liposomes, and dendrimers have been developed as smart drug delivery systems for cancer treatment, demonstrating enhanced pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles over conventional formulations due to their nanoscale size and unique physicochemical characteristics. The data present in the literature suggest that nanotechnology will provide next-generation platforms for cancer management and anticancer therapy. Therefore, in this critical review, we summarize a range of nanomaterials which are currently being employed for anticancer therapies and discuss the fundamental role of their physicochemical properties in cancer management. We further elaborate on the topical progress made to date toward nanomaterial engineering for cancer therapy, including current strategies for drug targeting and release for efficient cancer administration. We also discuss issues of nanotoxicity, which is an often-neglected feature of nanotechnology. Finally, we attempt to summarize the current challenges in nanotherapeutics and provide an outlook on the future of this important field.

中文翻译：

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使用设计纳米材料的癌症管理和治疗的当前趋势和挑战。

纳米技术具有规避常规治疗制剂的若干缺点的潜力。实际上，在将工程纳米材料以高特异性，敏感性和有效性用于治疗癌症方面已经取得了重大进展。使用特定配体功能化的量身定制的纳米材料可以以可预测的方式靶向癌细胞，并有效地递送封装的有效载荷。此外，纳米材料还可以通过改变其组成，尺寸，形态和表面化学来设计，以增加药物负荷，改善体内半衰期，控制释放和选择性分配。迄今为止，已开发出聚合物纳米材料，金属纳米颗粒，碳基材料，脂质体和树状聚合物作为用于癌症治疗的智能药物递送系统，由于其纳米级的尺寸和独特的理化特性，证明其比常规制剂具有更高的药代动力学和药效学特征。文献中的数据表明，纳米技术将为癌症管理和抗癌治疗提供下一代平台。因此，在本次重要综述中，我们总结了目前用于抗癌治疗的一系列纳米材料，并讨论了其理化性质在癌症治疗中的基本作用。我们进一步详细阐述了迄今为止用于癌症治疗的纳米材料工程方面的主题进展，包括当前的药物靶向策略和有效癌症治疗的释放策略。我们还将讨论纳米毒性问题，这是纳米技术经常被忽略的特征。最后，