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Abstract

An object with at least one characteristic dimension between 1 and 100 nm can be defined as "nanomaterial". The unbelievable development of nanotechnology in the last 30 years has allowed the release of new and efficient synthetic routes towards the production and functionalization of different NPs, composed of a variety of materials including noble metals (e.g. gold and silver), semiconductors, TiO 2 , magnetic compounds and their combinations, such as core-shell and alloy. Advances in nanoparticle synthesis and engineering have produced nanoscale agents affording both therapeutic and diagnostic functions that are often referred to by the portmanteau 'Nanotheronostics'. The field is associated with many applications in the clinic, especially in cancer management. These include patient stratification, drug-release monitoring, imaging-guided focal therapy and post-treatment response monitoring NPs which is clearly elaborated in this work. Intelligent nanotheronostics based on bio responsive systems have recently emerged and offer the promise of high specificity and efficiency via "on-demand" activation of both therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities are being widely used for cancer diagnostics. As this development is very sensitive in terms and diagnosis and treatment proper regulations have been implemented in several countries and the regulations in few of the developed countries have been discussed in this article. INTRODUCTION: Theranostics 1 " is a novel multifunctional approach that describes any "material that combines the modalities of therapy and diagnostic imaging" into a single package. Nanotheronostics can deliver treatment while simultaneously monitoring therapy response in real-time, thereby decreasing the potential of overor under-dosing patients.