Prostate cancer radiotherapy: potential applications of metal nanoparticles for imaging and therapy

Abstract

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males. There have been dramatic technical advances in radiotherapy delivery, enabling higher doses of radiotherapy to primary cancer, involved lymph nodes and oligometastases with acceptable normal tissue toxicity. Despite this, many patients relapse following primary radical therapy, and novel treatment approaches are required. Metal nanoparticles are agents that promise to improve diagnostic imaging and image-guided radiotherapy and to selectively enhance radiotherapy effectiveness in CaP. We summarize current radiotherapy treatment approaches for CaP and consider pre-clinical and clinical evidence for metal nanoparticles in this condition.

Phytosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Myrtus communis L. Leaf Extract and Investigation of Bactericidal Activity

“…In recent years, synthesis of noble-metal nanostructures of gold, palladium, platinum, and silver has attracted great attention due to their applications in catalysis, 1 diagnosis, 2 theranostics, 3 optical and visual detection, 4,5 therapy, 6 plasmonics, 7 imaging, 8 electrocatalysis and electroanalysis, [9][10][11] and sensing, biosensing, and aptasensing. [12][13][14][15] In this regard, a lot of attention has been paid to synthesis of nanostructured materials using natural species such as algae, yeasts, bacteria, fungi, biological compounds, and plant extracts.…”

An overview of current practice in external beam radiation oncology with consideration to potential benefits and challenges for nanotechnology

“…MRI contrast agents incorporate materials that influence local magnetic fields in their surrounding tissue, thus affecting the nuclear relaxation times used to generate MR images. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are already in clinical use as MR contrast agents for a range of anatomical sites including the bowel, liver/spleen (Sun et al 2008 ) and prostate (Coulter et al 2015 ). However, the majority of MRI contrast agents are based on chelates of gadolinium.…”