Nanomaterials for Cancer Precision Medicine

Abstract

Medical science has recently advanced to the point where diagnosis and therapeutics can be carried out with high precision, even at the molecular level. A new field of "precision medicine" has consequently emerged with specific clinical implications and challenges that can be well-addressed by newly developed nanomaterials. Here, a nanoscience approach to precision medicine is provided, with a focus on cancer therapy, based on a new concept of "molecularly-defined cancers." "Next-generation sequencing" is introduced to identify the oncogene that is responsible for a class of cancers. This new approach is fundamentally different from all conventional cancer therapies that rely on diagnosis of the anatomic origins where the tumors are found. To treat cancers at molecular level, a recently developed "microRNA replacement therapy" is applied, utilizing nanocarriers, in order to regulate the driver oncogene, which is the core of cancer precision therapeutics. Furthermore, the outcome of the nanomediated oncogenic regulation has to be accurately assessed by the genetically characterized, patient-derived xenograft models. Cancer therapy in this fashion is a quintessential example of precision medicine, presenting many challenges to the materials communities with new issues in structural design, surface functionalization, gene/drug storage and delivery, cell targeting, and medical imaging.

Recent Progress in Ferroptosis Inducers for Cancer Therapy

“…), but also introduce new features (e.g., magnetic property, photothermal effect, electrochemical property, etc.). [24] Additionally, many previously reported nanoplatforms, especially those referring to Fenton chemistry to generate ROS, are likely to be involved in the ferroptotic mechanisms, which are worth reevaluation from a new perspective.…”

Exosome Biochemistry and Advanced Nanotechnology for Next‐Generation Theranostic Platforms

“…Moreover, Betzer et al also integrated exosomes with gold nanoparticles (exosome@Au) for in vivo neuroimaging . These pioneering efforts will inspire us to design diverse exosome‐based organic‐inorganic hybridized nanosystems for numerous nanomedical applications. (2)Entering in the era of “precision medicine,” a variety of nanocarriers have been designed and fabricated with programmable dimensions, morphologies, structures, and surface functionalities for “genomics‐driven therapy.” Since the beginning of the human genome project, there has been being exceptional enthusiasm to transform the traditional concept of nanomaterial‐based DDSs by genetics and even genomics . By shedding light on disease‐associated genes and pathways, a better understanding of exosome‐related pathology and genetics will help us to conceive exosome‐based precision medicine for treating various diseases in a personalized manner.…”

Clinical Applications of Carbon Nanomaterials in Diagnostics and Therapy

“…The need for improved design and delivery of combination therapy in clinical applications, such as oncology, are further highlighted by the recognition that many diseases, such as cancer, have diverse heterogeneous patient populations that are uniquely sensitive and resistant to different therapeutic combinations. This realization has led to the emergence of increased efforts toward improving therapeutic options, nanomedical and otherwise, for personalized and precision medicine . The conventional approach to both nanotechnology‐modified and unmodified combination therapy development, however, is typically based on the determination of drug synergy .…”