Application of Nanotechnology in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy - A Mini-Review

Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of death and poor quality of life globally. Even though several strategies are devised to reduce deaths, reduce chronic pain and improve the quality of life, there remains a shortfall in the adequacies of these cancer therapies. Among the cardinal steps towards ensuring optimal cancer treatment are early detection of cancer cells and drug application with high specificity to reduce toxicities. Due to increased systemic toxicities and refractoriness with conventional cancer diagnostic and therapeutic tools, other strategies including nanotechnology are being employed to improve diagnosis and mitigate disease severity. Over the years, immunotherapeutic agents based on nanotechnology have been used for several cancer types to reduce the invasiveness of cancerous cells while sparing healthy cells at the target site. Nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes, polymeric micelles and liposomes have been used in cancer drug design where they have shown considerable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic benefits in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we outline the commonly used nanomaterials which are employed in cancer diagnosis and therapy. We have highlighted the suitability of these nanomaterials for cancer management based on their physicochemical and biological properties. We further reviewed the challenges that are associated with the various nanomaterials which limit their uses and hamper their translatability into the clinical setting in certain cancer types.

Design of Olmesartan Medoxomil-Loaded Nanosponges for Hypertension and Lung Cancer Treatments

“…Generally, cancer can be treated by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy, stem cell transplant, precision medicine and biomarker testing as suggested by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Due to numerous limitations associated with these conventional methods, several researchers have exploited nanotechnology-based approaches for the efficient diagnosis and delivery of therapeutic agents [ 6 ]. In this context, nanomedicine has been applied successfully in developing novel nanocarriers, such as gold-nanoparticles, silver-nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsion, self-emulsifying nanoemulsion and nanosponges [ 7 ].…”

miRNA-148a and miRNA-30c expressions as potential biomarkers in breast cancer patients

“…Nanotechnology has shown a great deal of possibilities in cancer diagnosis throughout the last years due to its enhanced pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics properties [ 36 ].Recently, miRNAs in body fluids are considered as potential noninvasive biomarkers of various diseases such as breast cancer [ 37 ].…”

Nanotechnology in Bladder Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment

“…GNPs, for example, would be used in cancer screening in vitro studies, in vivo imaging improvement, and as potential drug loading strategies. Aside from that, different preparation methods alter particle sizes, shapes, and structures, reducing their clinical utility [ 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 ].…”