Abstract:
Nano-based drug delivery systems (NDDS) have emerged as a transformative approach in modern medicine, offering enhanced therapeutic efficacy, targeted delivery, and reduced systemic toxicity. This comprehensive review explores the fundamental design principles of NDDS, including material selection, surface functionalization, and payload encapsulation strategies. Various delivery mechanisms—such as passive and active targeting, stimuli-responsive release, and cellular uptake pathways—are examined to highlight their roles in optimizing drug bioavailability and therapeutic outcomes. The review further delves into current and emerging applications of nanocarriers across oncology, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, and gene therapy. Additionally, it addresses the challenges related to biocompatibility, large-scale production, regulatory hurdles, and clinical translation. By integrating recent advancements and interdisciplinary insights, this paper provides a holistic overview of the field and identifies promising directions for future research and development in nanomedicine.

Keywords: Nano-based drug delivery systems, Nanocarriers, Targeted drug delivery, Controlled release, Nanoparticles, Surface functionalization, Nanomedicine, Drug encapsulation.