Clinical advances of nanocarrier-based cancer therapy and diagnostics

Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and efficient new strategies are urgently needed to combat its high mortality and morbidity statistics. Fortunately, over the years, nanotechnology has evolved as a frontrunner in the areas of imaging, diagnostics and therapy, giving the possibility of monitoring, evaluating and individualizing cancer treatments in real-time. Areas covered: Polymer-based nanocarriers have been extensively studied to maximize cancer treatment efficacy and minimize the adverse effects of standard therapeutics. Regarding diagnosis, nanomaterials like quantum dots, iron oxide nanoparticles or gold nanoparticles have been developed to provide rapid, sensitive detection of cancer and, therefore, facilitate early treatment and monitoring of the disease. Therefore, multifunctional nanosystems with both imaging and therapy functionalities bring us a step closer to delivering precision/personalized medicine in the cancer setting. Expert opinion: There are multiple barriers for these new nanosystems to enter the clinic, but it is expected that in the near future, nanocarriers, together with new 'targeted drugs', could replace our current treatments and cancer could become a nonfatal disease with good recovery rates. Joint efforts between scientists, clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry and legislative bodies are needed to bring to fruition the application of nanosystems in the clinical management of cancer.

Monitoring of macrophage recruitment enhanced by Toll‐like receptor 4 activation with MR imaging in nerve injury

“…Moreover, SWI with high quality is difficult to obtain for a small‐sized structure, such as a rat peripheral nerve. Third, although USPIOs have traditionally been considered as biocompatible and can be used for a wide spectrum of imaging applications including various types of inflammation, the currently available information on their potential toxicity is still scarce, and investigations on the toxicity in different animal models does not provide a clear overview on their safety yet . Further studies are needed to determine the safety and feasibility of USPIO‐enhanced MRI before its clinical use for monitoring macrophage recruitment in humans.…”

The Radiosensitizing Effect of Nanodiamonds (NDs) on HeLa Cells Under X‐Ray Irradiation

“…The conventional treatment shows some drawbacks such as lacks tumor specificity and severe complications (such as: radiodermatitis, radiation pneumonia, organ failure, etc). Recently the study of nanomaterials for the improvement of tumor diagnosis and treatment became the urgent affairs in medical research . Combination therapies have shown better results than conventional treatment in the lab and clinic.…”

Interaction of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Specific Proteins of the Corona Studied by Surface Plasmon Resonance

“…Pharmaceutical and medical applications of nanosystems represent a growing area in the flourishing field of nanotechnology, including developments in advanced pharmaceutical nanocarriers and nanodiagnostics [1][2][3]. Nanosized carriers of very diverse composition are being actively investigated, including metallic, polymeric, ceramic, and lipidic nanoparticles and also hybrid systems by combining such materials [4,5].…”