Theranostic Nanoparticles in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

AbstractCancer has been one of the most dreaded diseases, claiming millions of deaths worldwide. Malignant tumors are very difficult to treat due to the inherent limitations of traditional surgery and insensitivity to radiation and chemotherapy. However, in recent years, nanotechnology-based advanced techniques have been widely used for the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Thus, theranostic nanoparticle-based novel approaches are under extensive investigation for effective cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this chapter, different types of theranostic nanomaterials such as magnetic, carbon/silica, metallic and polymeric nanoparticles, and their synthesis procedures are initially described. Then, nanoparticle-based different imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluorescence/optical imaging, photoacoustic imaging, etc., have been elaborated. Besides, nanoparticle-based different therapeutic approaches, including magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal therapy (PTT), have been explicated. Moreover, the applications of important theranostic nanomaterials such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), quantum dots (QDs), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the treatment of cancer are elucidated. Furthermore, the utilization of nanomaterials for effective multimodal imaging and therapy in cancer theranostics is expounded. Finally, the future prospects in the field of cancer theranostics are illuminated for the imminent knowledge of the readers. In summary, theranostic nanomaterials have immense potential in clinical diagnosis and therapeutics due to their unique intrinsic properties, making them favorable for effective cancer treatment.KeywordsTheranostic nanoparticlesCancer treatmentMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)Magnetic particle imaging (MPI)Fluorescence imagingPhotoacoustic imagingPositron emission tomography (PET)ChemotherapyMagnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT)Photothermal therapy (PTT)Photodynamic therapy (PDT)Multimodal imagingMultimodal therapy