# Nanomedicine in Ovarian Cancer: Advances in Imaging, Targeted Delivery, and Theranostic Therapeutic Platforms

## TL;DR

This review explores how nanomedicine is improving ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment through advanced imaging, targeted drug delivery, and theranostic platforms.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent nanomedicine platforms and strategies for ovarian cancer, emphasizing their potential for precision and clinical translation.

## Key findings

- Nanomedicine platforms enhance imaging accuracy and drug delivery in ovarian cancer.
- Theranostic systems enable real-time visualization and treatment response monitoring.
- Immune-nanomedicine and nucleic acid therapies offer new strategies for overcoming resistance.

## Abstract

The major advances in nanomedicine for ovarian cancer are outlined in this review, underlining how engineered lipid, polymeric, inorganic, hybrid and biomimetic platforms improve imaging accuracy, intraperitoneal delivery, and therapeutic precision. Targeted ligands, stimuli-responsive release, and stealth coatings are key design principles which are demonstrated alongside applications in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET)/single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), near-infrared imaging (NIR), ultrasound, and multimodal imaging. Nucleic acid nanotherapies, photothermal and enzyme-responsive systems, immune-nanomedicine and intraperitoneal depot strategies are also discussed in this article. The importance of standardisation and personalised nanotherapeutic approaches in ovarian cancer is highlighted by the evaluation of biodistribution, safety, manufacturing, and regulatory framework challenges.

Ovarian cancer continues to be the most lethal gynaecological malignancy, principally due to its late-stage diagnosis, extensive peritoneal dissemination, chemoresistance, and limitations of current imaging and therapeutic strategies. By optimising pharmacokinetics, refining tumour-selective drug delivery, and supporting high-resolution, multimodal imaging, nanomedicine offers a versatile platform to address these limitations. In this review, current progress across lipid-based, polymeric, inorganic, hybrid, and biomimetic nanocarriers is synthesised, emphasising how tailored physiochemical properties, surface functionalisation, and stimuli-responsive designs can improve tumour localisation, surmount stromal and ascetic barriers, and enable controlled drug release. Concurrently, significant advancement in imaging nanoprobes, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET)/single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), optical, near-infrared imaging (NIR), ultrasound, and photoacoustic systems, has evolved early lesion detection, intraoperative guidance, and quantitative monitoring of treatment. Diagnosis and therapy are further integrated within single platforms by emerging theranostic constructs, encouraging real-time visualisation of drug distribution and treatment response. Additionally, immune-nanomedicine, intraperitoneal depot systems, and nucleic acid-centred nanotherapies offer promising strategies to address immune suppression and molecular resistance in advanced ovarian cancer. In spite of noteworthy achievements, clinical translation is limited by complex manufacturing requirements, challenges with safety and stability, and restricted patient stratification. To unlock the full clinical potential of nanotechnology in ovarian cancer management, constant innovation in scalable design, regulatory standardisation, and integration of precision biomarkers will be necessary.