Over the last decade, scientists have shifted their focus to the development of smart carriers for the delivery of chemotherapeutics in order to overcome the problems associated with traditional chemotherapy, such as poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability, low selectivity and targeting specificity, off-target drug side effects, and damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Nanofiber-based drug delivery systems have recently emerged as a promising drug delivery system in cancer therapy owing to their unique structural and functional properties, including tunable interconnected porosity, a high surface-to-volume ratio associated with high entrapment efficiency and drug loading capacity, and high mass transport properties, which allow for controlled and targeted drug delivery. In addition, they are biocompatible, biodegradable, and capable of surface functionalization, allowing for target-specific delivery and drug release. One of the most common fiber production methods is electrospinning, even though the relatively two-dimensional (2D) tightly packed fiber structures and low production rates have limited its performance. Forcespinning is an alternative spinning technology that generates high-throughput, continuous polymeric nanofibers with 3D structures. Unlike electrospinning, forcespinning generates fibers by centrifugal forces rather than electrostatic forces, resulting in significantly higher fiber production. The functionalization of nanocarriers on nanofibers can result in smart nanofibers with anticancer capabilities that can be activated by external stimuli, such as light. This review addresses current trends and potential applications of light-responsive and dual-stimuli-responsive electro- and forcespun smart nanofibers in cancer therapy, with a particular emphasis on functionalizing nanofiber surfaces and developing nano-in-nanofiber emerging delivery systems for dual-controlled drug release and high-precision tumor targeting. In addition, the progress and prospective diagnostic and therapeutic applications of light-responsive and dual-stimuli-responsive smart nanofibers are discussed in the context of combination cancer therapy.

Rasagiline mesylate (RSM) is a hydrophilic drug with poor oral bioavailability (36%) because of hepatic first-pass metabolism. The present study focuses on delivering RSM directly to the brain through its inclusion within transferosomal in situ gel administered through the intranasal (IN) route. Transferosomes were formed by the thin-film hydration method with the aid of Design-Expert^® software by varying the edge activator (EA) type in the absence or presence of cholesterol. By desirability calculations, the optimum formulation was composed of phosphatidylcholine and sodium deoxycholate as an EA (5:1% w/w) with no cholesterol. The optimum formulation was 198.63 ± 34.98 nm in size and displayed an entrapment efficiency of 95.73 ± 0.09%. Transmission electron microscopy revealed discrete and spherical vesicles. Optimized transferosomes were further incorporated into an in situ gel composed of 0.5% pectin, 15% Pluronic^® F-127, and 5% Pluronic^® F-68 and tested for the in vivo performance. The systemic as well as brain kinetics were assessed in rats by comparing the IN-administered in situ gel to the IV aqueous solution. The optimum in situ gel showed safety and biocompatibility on rats’ nasal mucosa with enhanced brain bioavailability (131.17%). Drug targeting efficiency and direct transport percentage indices (304.53% and 67.16%, respectively) supported successful brain targeting offering direct nose-to-brain drug delivery.

Background and Purpose: Prolonged smartphone use may contribute to cervical pain through sustained muscular overload and increased nociceptive input. This study investigated the effects of adding chitosan phonophoresis to conventional physical therapy on pain, disability, and cervical range of motion (ROM) in smartphone-addicted adolescents with cervical pain. Methods: Thirty-two participants aged 16–19 years with smartphone addiction and cervical pain were randomly assigned to a chitosan phonophoresis group or a control group. Outcomes were assessed before and after treatment using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), Visual Analog Scale for Pain (VAS-P), and cervical range-of-motion (CROM) device. Results: Both groups improved significantly after treatment. Compared with the control group, the chitosan phonophoresis group showed greater reductions in VAS-P (MD = −1.00, 95% CI: −1.59 to −0.41; p = 0.002) and NDI (MD = −3.13, 95% CI: −5.00 to −1.23; p = 0.002). Greater improvements were also observed in cervical ROM, including flexion (MD = 5.63°, 95% CI: 2.58 to 8.67), extension (MD = 6.25°, 95% CI: 1.90 to 10.59), right bending (MD = 3.75°, 95% CI: 1.74 to 5.76), left bending (MD = 4.38°, 95% CI: 1.95 to 6.79), right rotation (MD = 6.25°, 95% CI: 3.70 to 8.80), and left rotation (MD = 6.25°, 95% CI: 3.19 to 9.30; all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Adding chitosan phonophoresis to conventional physical therapy produced greater improvements in cervical pain, disability, and ROM. However, between-group differences in pain and disability were below commonly reported thresholds for clinically important change. Chitosan phonophoresis may be a useful adjunct in managing cervical disorders associated with prolonged smartphone use.

A zein-hybridized invasomal nanosponge was developed for oral delivery of zolmitriptan to attenuate colorectal cancer, inducing tumor suppression through simultaneous activation of apoptosis and ferroptosis signaling pathways.

Background/Objectives: Conventional anticancer drugs often exhibit limited solubility and bioavailability due to unfavorable physicochemical properties and inherent physiological barriers. To overcome these persistent challenges, nanocarriers have been developed to enhance drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. Among these, lipid and polymeric nanocarriers (LP-NCs) have emerged as particularly promising candidates for anticancer drug delivery. These systems can be engineered for targeted delivery and tailored to respond to specific stimuli, thereby enhancing their therapeutic potential. A notable advancement in this field is the development of smart light-responsive LP-NCs, which demonstrate superior performance over conventional nanocarriers by enabling controlled drug release in response to external light stimuli. Methods: This study presents a meta-analysis based on a curated selection of publications from multiple scientific databases and literature sources. The objective was to evaluate whether light-responsive LP-NCs offer superior anticancer drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy compared with their conventional counterparts. The primary outcome measure was the pharmacokinetic parameter area under the curve (AUC), derived from in vivo animal studies. Results: The analysis revealed a significant increase in AUC for light-responsive LP-NCs, indicating improved drug bioavailability and prolonged systemic exposure. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of LP-NCs as a promising strategy for enhancing targeted anticancer drug delivery. This approach could pave the way for more effective therapeutic interventions and warrants further investigation in future research and clinical trials.