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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 21, 2026; 32(35): 121133
Published online Sep 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121133
Published online Sep 21, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121133
Nanotechnology for drug delivery systems in colorectal cancer: Recent developments and future prospects
Zhen-Huan Yang, Lei Luo, Xing-Xing Wu, Shan-Wen Nie, Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
Quan-Li Huang, Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, Beijing Changping District Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing 102200, China
Man-Man Xu, Department of Oncology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China
Co-first authors: Zhen-Huan Yang and Quan-Li Huang.
Author contributions: Yang ZH and Huang QL contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors. Yang ZH and Huang QL contributed to conceptualization, visualization, and methodology and writing - original draft preparation; Yang ZH, Huang QL, Luo L, Wu XX, Nie SW, and Xu MM contributed to writing - review and editing; Xu MM contributed to supervision and project administration; Yang ZH and Luo L contributed to funding acquisition. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools (specifically Youdao AI Polishing) were used solely for linguistic refinement. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions. All AI-generated outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the authors.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82305074; Doctoral Research Fund of Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 2022BJSS02; and the Special Project on Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific Research of Health Commission of Henan Province, No. 2022ZY1077.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Man-Man Xu, MD, Department of Oncology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 5 Beixiange Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China. manmanxu123@126.com
Received: March 26, 2026
Revised: May 3, 2026
Accepted: July 6, 2026
Published online: September 21, 2026
Processing time: 145 Days and 23.1 Hours
Revised: May 3, 2026
Accepted: July 6, 2026
Published online: September 21, 2026
Processing time: 145 Days and 23.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This review systematically summarizes recent studies on diverse nano-biomaterials, which are designed for targeted and controlled drug delivery in colorectal cancer. We specifically highlight current advances in nanomedicine-based immunotherapy, focusing on targeting of immunosenescence to reprogram immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and improve immune checkpoint inhibitor effects. We further discuss the problems and potential of translating such nanoplatforms into clinical practice. In summary, the present work sheds new lights on those strategies for treating colorectal cancer using nanodrug delivery technology.