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Call for papers - Nanomaterials loaded with molecular drugs for the treatment of human diseases

Guest Editors

Rahul Kalhapure, PhD, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Zhiwen Luo, MD, PhD, Fudan University, China
Chun-Wai Mai, PhD, RPh, UCSI University, Malaysia

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 15 November 2024

BMC Biotechnology welcomes submissions to the Collection Nanomaterials loaded with molecular drugs for the treatment of human diseases. We welcome submissions on the design, synthesis, characterization, and therapeutic applications of drug-loaded nanoparticles, as well as their interactions within the immune microenvironment, with a focus on advancing precision medicine and improving treatment outcomes.

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Rahul Kalhapure, PhD, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Dr Kalhapure is an Honorary Associate Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. He earned his PhD from the Institute of Chemical Technology in India. Currently, he serves as a Principal Scientist at Odin Pharmaceuticals in the USA, overseeing the development of sterile complex dosage forms. Previously, he worked at the University of Texas at El Paso, USA. From 2013 to 2017, he held the position of NRF Scientist at UKZN. His research focuses on dendrimers, novel biocompatible materials, and nano-drug delivery. Dr Kalhapure holds three granted US Patents and has authored over 60 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. He also serves as an Editorial Board member for "Drug Delivery Letters" and is a member of the Topical Advisory Panel for "Pharmaceutics".

Zhiwen Luo, MD, PhD, Fudan University, China

Dr Luo holds a PhD jointly conferred in biomaterials from the National University of Singapore and in miRNA mechanisms from the Shanghai Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Currently, he serves as the Director Assistant at the Fudan University Institute of Sports Medicine in China, providing research guidance to multiple institutions and holding accreditation as an expert for China’s National Medical Products Administration. He is a Full Member of both the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society (USA) and the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association. Dr Luo also holds editorial roles in 30 academic journals, serves as a reviewer for over 50 SCI journals, and has guest-edited for more than 10 SCI journals. He has authored over 50 papers in SCI-indexed journals, with 41 as the first, co-first, or corresponding author.

Chun-Wai Mai, PhD, RPh, UCSI University, Malaysia

Dr Mai currently serves as the Head of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University (Malaysia). His academic journey includes completing a postdoctoral certificate from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. With over a decade of dedicated focus on cancer research, Dr Mai possesses extensive expertise in this field. He has received prestigious awards, including the FIP Early Career in Pharmaceutical Science Award (2023) and the Rising Star Award from the Malaysia Association for Cancer Research (2019). Dr Mai leads a dynamic research team actively engaged in exploring drug resistance and immune evasion mechanisms in cancer. Employing a pioneering cell-cell interaction model both in vitro and in vivo, his team investigates novel approaches to combat these challenges. Leveraging state-of-the-art, disease-relevant phenotypic, and target-based assays, Dr Mai’s team aims to decipher the mechanisms of action of various compounds to enhance cancer patients' prognosis and treatment outcomes.

About the Collection

Nanomaterials loaded with molecular drugs have emerged as promising platforms for the treatment of human diseases, offering targeted and controlled drug delivery, thus preventing high-dose administration and drug diffusion to surrounding tissues. Nonetheless, the small size, large surface area and high bioactivity of nanomaterials may pose potential safety risks to human health, therefore requiring a comprehensive assessment of their biological effects and risks. This Collection aims to gather research that explores the development, mechanisms and applications of nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of human diseases such as cancer, and metabolic and inflammatory disorders.

Continuing to advance our collective understanding in this research area is essential to harness the full potential of nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems for human disease treatment. Recent advances have demonstrated the ability of nanocarriers to enhance drug selectivity and release, improve pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, achieve efficient targeted delivery, and reduce toxicity and side effects in tissues and organs, overall optimizing therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, research has highlighted the potential of nanomaterials to overcome biological barriers and deliver drugs to specific cellular targets, paving the way for personalized and precision medicine approaches.

To explore the latest advancements in nanomaterials carrying drugs and their therapeutic applications, BMC Biotechnology invites submissions to the Collection Nanomaterials loaded with molecular drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases. This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), welcoming submissions that investigate the design, synthesis, molecular characterization, and therapeutic efficacy of drug-loaded nanoparticles, as well as their interactions within the immune microenvironment. We invite researchers and experts in the field to submit research articles that explore, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Design and synthesis of drug-loaded nanomaterials
  • Mechanisms of controlled release of loaded drugs by physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials
  • Applications and regulatory mechanisms of nanomaterials in inflammation and immune microenvironment
  • Applications of nanomaterials in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic and inflammatory disorders
  • Therapeutic efficacy of drug-loaded nanomaterials in cancer therapy
  • Overcoming biological barriers for targeted drug delivery
  • Nanomaterial-based antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drug delivery systems
  • Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nanodrugs
  • Engineering precision nanoparticles for drug delivery
  • Nanomaterials in precision medicine
  • Biosafety and biocompatibility of nanomaterials in the treatment of human diseases


Image credit: catalin / Stock.adobe.com

  1. Colorectal cancer is a common disease worldwide with non-specific symptoms such as blood in the stool, bowel movements, weight loss and fatigue. Chemotherapy drugs can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiti...

    Authors: Narges Yaghoubi, Amir Gholamzad, Tahere Naji and Mehrdad Gholamzad
    Citation: BMC Biotechnology 2024 24:52
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Nanomaterials loaded with molecular drugs for the treatment of human diseases" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.