Chapter 2 - Multifunctional nanotheranostics for cancer diagnosis and treatments

Abstract

The development of theranostic nanoparticles has greatly expanded the application of nanomedicines for different types of cancers with better diagnosis and therapy. The combination of suitable imaging modalities with chemotherapeutic drugs along with ligand guided or external stimuli-guided site-specific delivery holds great potential for safer and efficient therapy. Various such nanocarrier systems have been discussed in the chapter such as the polymeric conjugates, dendrimers, micelles, gold nanostructures, iron oxide nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon dots, and the stimuli responsive systems. In recent trends, these multifunctional systems involve combination of photothermal, photoacoustic, and photodynamic effect along with the chemotherapeutic drugs. These systems have made possible better diagnosis of different types of cancer and efficient and site-specific therapy with reduced toxicity. Several of these theranostic nanocarriers are presently under clinical manifestation and holds great potential for better cancer therapy in future.