Systematic Review of Nanotheranostics in Cancer Pharmacology: Multi-Organ Insights from Liver to Brain Tumors

Abstract

Cancer remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, with liver, lung, pancreatic, breast, and brain tumors posing significant therapeutic challenges. Conventional pharmacological approaches are limited by systemic toxicity, poor tumor specificity, and therapeutic resistance. Nanotheranostics, integrating diagnostic imaging and targeted therapy within a single platform, offers a promising solution to these limitations. This systematic review (2019–2024) synthesizes recent preclinical and clinical advances in organ-specific nanotheranostic systems, highlighting mechanisms of targeted drug delivery, imaging-guided therapy, and multifunctional nanoparticles. Comparative analysis reveals shared strategies such as ligand-functionalization and stimuli-responsive drug release, alongside organ-specific barriers including the blood–brain barrier, dense stromal matrices, and molecular heterogeneity. Emerging trends emphasize AI-integrated, bioinspired, and multi-omics-enabled nanosystems, paving the way for personalized oncology. Despite regulatory, safety, and manufacturing challenges, nanotheranostics represents a paradigm shift toward precise, safer, and more effective cancer therapies.