Cancer is a complex set of diseases that represent almost one-third of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Although tumors widely differ in their genetic and molecular bases, phenotypic manifestations, and variability on the prognosis, they share common hallmarks such as self-sustained proliferative abilities, sustained angiogenesis, drastic metabolic alterations, or the capability to invade surrounding tissues and metastasize.

Today, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the principal treatment modalities aimed at eradicating solid tumors. However, the efficacy of these therapies is often hampered by many dangerous side effects associated with nonselective cytotoxicities.

近年来，纳米技术已引起，因为其巨大的潜力，提供一个创新的模式，以克服目前化疗和放疗方法所产生的问题在癌症治疗显著的利益。最近在化学和材料科学领域的进步已经生产出预期改善许多肿瘤对传统治疗方法否则抗性的治疗纳米材料。纳米材料可以有内在的细胞毒活性和/或提高标准化疗的疗效。此外，它们代表新的药物递送系统，同时降低的标准药物的副作用。

Depending on their unique physical, chemical, mechanical, and optical properties, nanomaterials are used as nanocarriers to deliver therapeutic molecules, such as drugs, proteins, or nucleic acids. Moreover, these nanostructures can also be externally activated to produce a cytotoxic effect through the delivery of local heating by the application of an externalmagnetic fieldor optical near infrared radiation depending on their composition and physical properties. Interestingly, nanomaterials can be also exploited to favour the delivery of immune agents and can represent a valid therapeutic tool to bypass the obstacles currently encountered in cancer immunotherapy. These innovative biomedical applications are currently exploited in a variety of clinical trials and in the near future may represent a major improvement in the therapy of cancer.

This multidisciplinary special issue encourages oncologists and pharmaceutical and translational scientists working in a related field to submit original research articles, review articles, and clinical studies focusing on cancer treatment based on novel functional nanomaterials.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Metal and metal oxide-based nanomaterials for drug delivery in cancer treatment
• Magnetic and photothermal therapy in cancer
• Modulation of immune response by nanoparticles
• Modulation of autophagy by metallic nanoparticles
• Regulation of oxidative stress by metallic nanomaterials
• Two-dimensional nanomaterials for cancer treatment
• Core-shell nanomaterials for cancer therapy
• Polymer nanocomposites in cancer and drug delivery