Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Mechanistic Insights, Technological Evolution, and Precision Therapeutic Strategies

Targeted Drug Delivery Systems (TDDS) have emerged as an important advancement concerning medicine. By allowing specific cells or tissues to receive medicine, these systems provide the patient with improved therapeutic outcomes with reduced adverse effects. This has significantly influenced modern therapeutics especially in the sectors of oncology, neurology, and chronic disorders. The development of TDDS includes advances in methods such as systemic administration of oral and intravenous drugs by improving oral bioavailability, target specificity, and overall drug bioavailability. TDDS offers significant advantages in terms of precision, decreased off-target effects, and enhanced regioselectivity with the use of nanoparticles, microneedles, hydrogels, exosomes, and CRISPR/Cas9 technology.TDDS presents a promising approach for treating various medical conditions more effectively and safely. Drug delivery has changed fundamentally due to enhanced targeting systems such as active targeting via ligand–receptor interactions, the enhanced permeability and retention effect, and passive targeting approaches. Furthermore, advances in stimuli-responsive systems have enabled controlled drug release in response to physiological changes within the body or external triggers.There are effective clinical applications of TDDS in the fields of oncology, neurology, and chronic disease treatment. Precision medicine has been significantly improved through the development of liposomal formulations such as Doxil and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), both of which have contributed substantially to advances in cancer therapy. This review discusses recent advances in TDDS, their targeting mechanisms, technological developments, and clinical applications, while highlighting their potential to improve future therapeutic outcomes.