Laser-generated nanoalloys as theranostic and biodegradable platforms for cancer nanomedicine

Abstract

The field of cancer nanomedicine is moving towards maturity thanks to innovative technologies and original nanomaterials. This is required to surpass the limitations of the previous generations of nanomedicines, such as biopersistence, experimental therapeutic approaches far from the clinic, long-term toxicity of heavy metals and other compounds used in nanoparticles. Here we show how laser processing is playing a crucial role for the realization of an emerging class of advanced inorganic nanomedicines based on nanoscale alloys. Nanoparticles of Au-Fe, Au-B, Fe-B and Fe-Ag alloys have been obtained by laser-assisted synthesis, even if most of them are thermodynamically unstable. These nanoalloys exhibited multiple appealing properties for imaging and therapy of cancer and have been designed to address the issues of previous nanostructured compounds for the treatment of cancer, by endowing mid-term biodegradability, complementarity and synergy of the theranostic functions. Therefore, laser technologies are contributing to the addition of new nano-tools for addressing the treatment of cancer with higher efficacy, feasibility and tolerability.