Volume 5 Number 1 2026
Nanotechnology at the Frontier of Medicine: Applications in Diagnostics, Drug Delivery, Oncology, and Regenerative Therapy
Kara Wegrzynek 1*, Natasha Phelps 2, Mustafa Rehmatulla Batliwala 2
Biosensors and Nanotheranostics 5 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/biosensors.5110981
Submitted: 12 January 2026 Revised: 01 March 2026 Accepted: 08 March 2026 Published: 10 March 2026
Medicine has long been limited by the scale at which it can act. Most drugs spread through the whole body rather than reaching the tissue that needs them, many diagnostic tests detect disease only after it is well established, and damaged tissues seldom regain their native structure. Nanotechnology, working with materials between 1 and 100 nm, offers a way past several of these limits because this size range matches the dimensions of nucleic acids, proteins, receptors and the fibres of the extracellular matrix. This narrative review draws together evidence from 28 peer-reviewed sources on four connected areas: nanodiagnostics, targeted drug delivery, oncological theranostics and regenerative therapy. Sources were charted for mechanism, reported performance and clinical maturity. In diagnostics, quantum dots, surface-enhanced Raman probes, superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agents and nanostructured liquid-biopsy chips report picogram-per-millilitre detection limits and clinical sensitivities of 84%–89% for circulating tumour cells. In drug delivery, liposomes, lipid and polymeric nanoparticles, nanogels and metal–organic frameworks improve pharmacokinetics through passive accumulation, ligand-directed targeting and stimuli-responsive release. In oncology, single platforms now combine imaging with photothermal, photodynamic, chemodynamic and sonodynamic therapy, and catalytic nanozymes and iron oxide nanoparticles appear able to remodel a hostile tumour microenvironment. In regenerative medicine, nanofibrous scaffolds, nanomineral-reinforced hydrogels, conductive nanocomposites and nanoengineered bio-inks reproduce cues of the native matrix. Translation, however, remains slow. Uncertain long-term toxicity, variable vascular permeability between patients, difficult scale-up and fragmented regulation are recurring barriers. Standardised safety testing and reproducible manufacturing will probably decide how much of this promise reaches patients.
Keywords: nanomedicine; nanodiagnostics; targeted drug delivery; theranostics; nanozymes; tumour microenvironment; tissue engineering; translational barriers
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