Cancer Nanomedicine: Emerging Strategies and Therapeutic Potentials

Abstract

Cancer continues to pose a severe threat to global health, making pursuing effective treatments more critical than ever. Traditional therapies, although pivotal in managing cancer, encounter considerable challenges, including drug resistance, poor drug solubility, and difficulties targeting tumors, specifically limiting their overall efficacy. Nanomedicine’s application in cancer therapy signals a new epoch, distinguished by the improvement of the specificity, efficacy, and tolerability of cancer treatments. This review explores the mechanisms and advantages of nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery, highlighting passive and active targeting strategies. Furthermore, it explores the transformative potential of nanomedicine in tumor therapeutics, delving into its applications across various treatment modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, photodynamic and photothermal therapy, gene therapy, as well as tumor diagnosis and imaging. Meanwhile, the outlook of nanomedicine in tumor therapeutics is discussed, emphasizing the need for addressing toxicity concerns, improving drug delivery strategies, enhancing carrier stability and controlled release, simplifying nano-design, and exploring novel manufacturing technologies. Overall, integrating nanomedicine in cancer treatment holds immense potential for revolutionizing cancer therapeutics and improving patient outcomes.

Nanoscale Metal–Organic Frameworks and Nanoscale Coordination Polymers: From Synthesis to Cancer Therapy and Biomedical Imaging

“…However, to achieve superior outcomes and potent therapeutic effects in clinical settings, the exploration of combination therapy holds significant potential. 84 Extensive research suggests that the combinatorial utilization of multiple therapeutic mechanisms in NMOFs and NCPs can substantially enhance the efficacy of tumor treatment. This section provides a comprehensive overview of recent MOF-based nanoplatforms employed in precise tumor treatment through dual-modal and multimodal treatment strategies including PTT combined with chemotherapy, CDT coupled with PDT, CDT combined with PTT, and triplecombination therapy.…”

“…NMOFs/NCPs-mediated chemotherapy, PTT, and PDT present promising approaches for cancer treatment. However, to achieve superior outcomes and potent therapeutic effects in clinical settings, the exploration of combination therapy holds significant potential . Extensive research suggests that the combinatorial utilization of multiple therapeutic mechanisms in NMOFs and NCPs can substantially enhance the efficacy of tumor treatment.…”

Perspectives of different colour‐emissive nanomaterials in fluorescent ink, LEDs, cell imaging, and sensing of various analytes

“…Furthermore, different types of analytes [ 186–230 ] such as Zn 2+ ions, [ 186 ] ascorbic acid, [ 187 ] norfloxacin, [ 188 ] GSH, [ 189 ] PO 4 3− , [ 190 ] lysozyme, [ 191 ] Hg 2+ , [ 192 ] Cd 2+ , [ 193 ] Al 3+ , [ 194 ] metal ions (Hg 2+ , Ag + and Cd 2+ ), [ 195,196 ] quercetin, [ 197 ] Cr 6+ , [ 198 ] Hg 2+ ion, [ 199 ] melamine and Hg 2+ ion, [ 200 ] trinitrophenol, [ 201 ] H 2 S, [ 202 ] Pb 2+ , [ 203 ] Al 3+ ion, [ 204 ] Zn 2+ , [ 205 ] Hg 2+ ion, [ 206 ] MiR‐155, [ 207 ] melamine, [ 209 ] dopamine, [ 215 ] DNA, [ 216 ] 5‐hydroxytryptamine [ 218 ] and picric acid [ 230 ] have been recognized by using various ultra‐small nanostructure materials as probes in fluorescence spectrometry. Orange‐emissive Au NCs were prepared by using auric chloride and GSH as precursors and used as a sensor to detect Zn 2+ ions with a wider linear range from 4.68 to 2,240 μM.…”

“…The as‐synthesized Cu NCs acted as a nanosensor for the detection of lysozyme via a quenching mechanism with a lower detection limit of 0.0016 μM. Several research groups have explored the preparation of various metal NCs including Cu NCs, [ 192 ] BSA–Cu NCs, [ 196,226 ] l ‐amino acid oxidase (LAAOx)–Au NCs, [ 210 ] chicken egg white–Au NCs, [ 219 ] GSH–Cu NCs, [ 220,223 ] l ‐cystine–Cu NCs, [ 221 ] Cu NCs with curcuma root extract [ , 228 ] and BSA–Au NCs [ 229 ] for sensing Hg 2+ ions via a turn‐off mechanism.…”

A tumor-targeted and enzyme-responsive gold nanorod-based nanoplatform with facilitated endo–lysosomal escape for synergetic photothermal therapy and protein therapy

“…Cancer is a significant global health threat, and traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy have high toxicity to healthy cells. 1,2 The complexity, diversity, and heterogeneity of tumors pose major challenges to their treatment. [3][4][5][6] Thus, the focus has shifted towards combining multiple treat-ment modes to enhance efficacy.…”