Mitoxantrone-engineered multifunctional nanoplatforms for precision imaging-guided synergistic cancer therapy: recent advances and future perspectives

Abstract

Mitoxantrone (MTO)-based nanoplatforms represent a significant advancement in oncological therapeutics by synergistically combining precision drug delivery with multimodal treatment strategies. Recent progress in precision pharmacokinetics, modular multifunctionality, and intelligent stimuli-responsive systems has established MTO as a cornerstone of next-generation combinatorial cancer therapy. The implementation of sophisticated nanocarrier designs has enabled high-efficiency drug encapsulation, spatiotemporally controlled release, and integration with complementary treatment modalities. These developments collectively address three major challenges in cancer therapy, including systemic toxicity, tumor microenvironment adaptation, and multidrug resistance mechanisms. This comprehensive review systematically explores the molecular pharmacodynamics underpinning MTO’s multifaceted antitumor activity, the structural classification and functional engineering of advanced nanocarriers for MTO delivery, and the emergent therapeutic synergies and translational potential of MTO within nano-enabled combination therapy frameworks. Furthermore, the current technological limitations and clinical translation barriers are critically evaluated, proposing a roadmap of innovative solutions to inform future research endeavors. By converging multivalent nanocarrier systems with precision oncology principles, this work establishes a transformative framework that transcends conventional chemotherapy modalities and catalyzes the development of patient-specific cancer theranostics.