Chapter 1 - Nanoparticle-based theranostics in cancer

Abstract

Cancer remains a disease that owns a level of complexity that claims realistic multistep processes for its diagnosis and treatment. The expedition to enact more specific diagnosis and treatment of cancer instigate to the exploration of an incredible platform called “theranostics.” The term “theranostics” implies amalgamation of therapeutics and diagnostics that combine both modalities into a single system to tailor treatment depend on the test results; therefore it provides more peculiar and adequate system for curing the disease. The improvement in nanotechnology provides a better opportunity for the engineering of nanoparticles used for theranostics purpose, and it also exhibited promising results in cancer therapy compared to the conventional treatments. Considering the several drawbacks of current treatment strategy of cancer such as slow response rate, transient duration of effect because of heterogeneity among patients and also the ability of the cancerous cells to habituate and withstand new treatment. The utilization of nanoparticle-based theranostics enhances the treatment specificity, and it allows the real-time tracking of drugs accumulation and its effect, which helps for assessment of the conceivable benefit and risk of treatment before extensive dosing. Therefore in the future nanotheranostics might be the exclusive platform to cure or at least early stage treatment of cancer. This chapter summarizes the use of nanoparticle-based theranostics in cancer applications, approaches of nanotheranostics for targeted cancer treatment, their current applications, clinical translation, and the future perspectives of nanotheranostics in cancer therapy.