Fig. 9
The characteristics of nanoparticles impact their ability to be delivered systemically to tumors. Nanoparticles are composed of various materials and possess different physical and chemical attributes, such as size, shape, surface properties, and flexibility, and can be modified with diverse ligands to target tumors. These properties influence the biological mechanisms involved in delivering nanoparticles to tumors, including interactions with serum proteins, circulation in the bloodstream, distribution throughout the body, penetration through the tumor's blood vessels and tissues, targeting of tumor cells, and intracellular movement. Additionally, nanoparticles can be engineered to control the release of their contents. Reprint from [177] with a permission from Springer Nature