Theranostic Approach Research Articles

Theranostic Cancer Treatment Using Lentinan-Coated Selenium Nanoparticles and Label-Free CEST MRI.

Selenium nanoparticle (SeNP)-based nanotherapeutics have become an emerging cancer therapy, while effective drug delivery remains a technical hurdle. A theranostic approach, through which imaging companions are integrated with SeNPs, will allow image-guided drug delivery and, therefore, is highly desirable. Traditional methods require the chemical conjugation of imaging agents to the surface of nanoparticles, which may impede the later clinical translation. In this study, we developed a label-free strategy in which lentinan-functionalized SeNPs (LNT-SeNPs) are detected using MRI by the hydroxyl protons carried on LNT molecules. The in vitro phantom study showed that LNT and LNT-SeNPs have a strong CEST signal at 1.0 ppm apart from the water resonance, suggesting an in vivo detectability in the µM concentration range. Demonstrated on CT26 colon tumor cells, LNT-SeNPs exert a strong anticancer effect (IC50 = 4.8 μM), prominently attributed to the ability to generate intracellular reactive oxygen species. However, when testing in a mouse model of CT26 tumors, administration of LNT-SeNPs alone was found unable to deliver sufficient drugs to the tumor, leading to poor treatment responses. To improve the drug delivery, we co-injected LNT-SeNPs and TNF-α, a previously reported drug that could effectively damage the endothelial cells in the tumor vasculature, thereby increasing drug delivery to the tumor. Our results revealed a 75% increase in the intratumoral CEST MRI signal, indicating a markedly increased delivery efficiency of LNT-SeNPs when combined with TNF-α. The combination therapy also resulted in a significantly enhanced treatment outcome, as revealed by the tumor growth study. Taken together, our study demonstrates the first label-free, SeNP-based theranostic system, in which LNT was used for both functional surface coating and CEST MRI signal generating. Such a theranostic LNT-SeNP system is advantageous because it requires chemical labeling and, therefore, has high biocompatibility and low translatable barriers.

Near‐Infrared Windows I and II Phosphors for Theranostic Applications: Spectroscopy, Bioimaging, and Light‐Emitting Diode Photobiomodulation

AbstractThe importance and practicality of near‐infrared (NIR) light for the biomedical field has attached importance to the academe and industry with the development of technology. Luminescent materials with different doping strategies are promising candidates for covering near‐infrared biological windows from 700 nm to 1 700 nm. The relationship between NIR light, nanophosphors, and biological tissue towards the function of diagnostic and therapy in different NIR windows is explored clearly, which corresponds to diffuse reflection spectroscopy with bioimaging and light‐emitting diode (LED) photobiomodulation. The diseases can be monitored with specific chromophore absorption under the NIR light source, which also can be traced to the dynamic change of the biological environment by luminescent materials. Especially in brain diseases, cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria as the crucial photoreceptor can be activated under NIR irradiation to achieve the non‐invasive treatment of neuron protection and recovery. NIR light attributed to LED or nanophosphors show the potential of theranostic approaches in biomedical technology. Cr3+‐ and Ni2+‐activated phosphors covering NIR windows I and II are presented with optical properties to explore the feasibility and practicability of non‐invasive precise medical treatment in the future.

Nanotechnology for colorectal cancer detection and treatment.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Across the globe, people in the age group older than 50 are at a higher risk of CRC. Genetic and environmental risk factors play a significant role in the development of CRC. If detected early, CRC is preventable and treatable. Currently, available screening methods and therapies for CRC treatment reduce the incidence rate among the population, but the micrometastasis of cancer may lead to recurrence. Therefore, the challenge is to develop an alternative therapy to overcome this complication. Nanotechnology plays a vital role in cancer treatment and offers targeted chemotherapies directly and selectively to cancer cells, with enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, nanotechnology elevates the chances of patient survival in comparison to traditional chemotherapies. The potential of nanoparticles includes that they may be used simultaneously for diagnosis and treatment. These exciting properties of nanoparticles have enticed researchers worldwide to unveil their use in early CRC detection and as effective treatment. This review discusses contemporary methods of CRC screening and therapies for CRC treatment, while the primary focus is on the theranostic approach of nanotechnology in CRC treatment and its prospects. In addition, this review aims to provide knowledge on the advancement of nanotechnology in CRC and as a starting point for researchers to think about new therapeutic approaches using nanotechnology.

MiRNA Theranostic Nanoparticles Promote Pancreatic Beta Cell Proliferation in Type 1 Diabetes Model.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disorder which affects the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. A variety of strategies, namely, insulin replacement therapy, engineered vaccines, immunomodulators, etc., have been explored to correct this condition. Recent studies have attributed the development of T1D to the anomalous expression of microRNAs in the pancreatic islets. Here, we describe the protocol for the development of a theranostic approach to modify the expression of aberrant miRNAs. The MRI-based nanodrug consists of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated to microRNA-targeting oligonucleotides that can promote proliferation of pancreatic beta cells in a mouse model of T1D. This theranostic approach can successfully serve as a potential therapeutic approach for the targeted treatment of T1D with minimal side effects.

MiRNA in Parkinson's disease:From pathogenesis to theranostic approaches.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age associated neurological disorder which is specified by cardinal motor symptoms such as tremor, stiffness, bradykinesia, postural instability, and non-motor symptoms. Dopaminergic neurons degradation in substantia nigra region and aggregation of αSyn are the classic signs of molecular defects noticed in PD pathogenesis. The discovery of microRNAs (miRNA) predicted to have a pivotal part in various processes regarding regularizing the cellular functions. Studies on dysregulation of miRNA in PD pathogenesis has recently gained the concern where our review unravels the role of miRNA expression in PD and its necessity in clinical validation for therapeutic development in PD. Here, we discussed how miRNA associated with ageing process in PD through molecular mechanistic approach of miRNAs on sirtuins, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, dopamine loss, oxidative stress and autophagic dysregulation. Further we have also conferred the expression of miRNAs affected by SNCA gene expression, neuronal differentiation and its therapeutic potential with PD. In conclusion, we suggest more rigorous studies should be conducted on understanding the mechanisms and functions of miRNA in PD which will eventually lead to discovery of novel and promising therapeutics for PD.

A Theranostic Approach in SIRT: Value of Pre-Therapy Imaging in Treatment Planning

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is one of the treatment options for liver tumors. Microspheres labelled with a therapeutic radionuclide (90Y or 166Ho) are injected into the liver artery feeding the tumor(s), usually achieving a high tumor absorbed dose and a high tumor control rate. This treatment adopts a theranostic approach with a mandatory simulation phase, using a surrogate to radioactive microspheres (99mTc-macroaggregated albumin, MAA) or a scout dose of 166Ho microspheres, imaged by SPECT/CT. This pre-therapy imaging aims to evaluate the tumor targeting and detect potential contraindications to SIRT, i.e., digestive extrahepatic uptake or excessive lung shunt. Moreover, the absorbed doses to the tumor(s) and the healthy liver can be estimated and used for planning the therapeutic activity for SIRT optimization. The aim of this review is to evaluate the accuracy of this theranostic approach using pre-therapy imaging for simulating the biodistribution of the microspheres. This review synthesizes the recent publications demonstrating the advantages and limitations of pre-therapy imaging in SIRT, particularly for activity planning.

ET-7 EVALUATION OF HYPOXIA-TARGETING RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL64CU-ATSM FOR PET MONITORING WITH LOCAL THERAPY IN HIGH-GRADE GLIOMA MODEL

Abstract World Health Organization (WHO)-defined central nervous system (CNS) grade 4 high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are highly aggressive brain cancers characterized by the presence of hypoxia within a rapidly-growing tumor mass. Due to invasion to the surrounding brain parenchyma, these tumors commonly recur locally, despite aggressive surgical resection, and new therapeutic approaches are required for local tumor control. Here, we show a positron emission tomography (PET) integrated local therapy (PETx), to target HGGs. This technique consists of a one-step local theranostic application, followed by PET monitoring, with a hypoxia-targeting radiopharmaceutical 64Cu-diacetyl-bis (N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (64Cu-ATSM). We examined the safety and therapeutic potential of 64Cu-ATSM PETx for HGG patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors, which recapitulated the parent tumor phenotype of high expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and BNIP3, biomarkers of tissue hypoxia. Biodistribution, dosimetry, and toxicity studies of 64Cu-ATSM local administration determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) to be 3.7 MBq in mouse. PETx using the MTD dose of 64Cu-ATSM indicated high tumor penetration, distribution, and retention of 64Cu-ATSM in PDX tumors, as compared to sham-treated mice. The 64Cu-ATSM PETx promoted DNA double-strand breaks, followed by apoptosis in tumors, and extensively prolonged overall survival with tolerable systemic toxicity. These findings indicate the potential of 64Cu-ATSM PETx to induce high uptake in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, and strong therapeutic effects in PDX models. These findings establish 64Cu-ATSM PETx as a potential novel theranostic approach to facilitate local control of WHO CNS grade 4 HGGs.

Functionalized Nanostructured Bioactive Carriers: Nanoliposomes, Quantum Dots, Tocosome, and Theranostic Approach.

Lipid nanocarriers have great potential for the encapsulation and delivery of numerous bioactive compounds. They have demonstrated significant benefits over traditional disease management and conventional therapy. The benefits associated with the particular properties of lipid nanocarriers include site-specific drug deposition, improved pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, enhanced internalization and intracellular transport, biodegradability, and decreased biodistribution. These properties result in the alleviation of the harmful consequences of conventional treatment protocols. The administration of various bioactive molecules has been extensively investigated using nanostructured lipid carriers. In this article, theranostic applications of novel formulations of lipid nanocarriers combined or complexed with quantum dots, certain polymers, such as chitosan, and metallic nanoparticles (particularly gold) are reviewed. These formulations have demonstrated better controlled release features, improved drug loading capability, as well as a lower burst release rate. As a recent innovation in drug delivery, tocosomes and their unique advantages are also explained in the final section of this review. Theranostic medicine requires nanocarriers with improved target-specific accumulation and bio-distribution. To this end, lipid-based nanocarrier systems and tocosomes combined with unique properties of quantum dots, biocompatible polymers, and metallic nanoparticles seem to be ideal candidates to be considered for safe and efficient drug delivery.

Magnetic Systems for Regenerative Medicine

Magnetic Systems for Regenerative Medicine

Nanoparticles – a novel theranostic approach to treat alzheimer’s disease

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasing day by day worldwide, which results in a poor quality of life. Early diagnosis and treatment of AD is necessary to suppress the progression of the disease. Conventional treatments have several limitations due to the protective blood-brain barrier. In this review, we described a nanoparticle-based approach to crossing the blood-brain barrier for AD detection and treatment. Nanoparticles encapsulate the anti-AD drug and are directed to the target tissues where controlled release of the drug takes place. There are various types of nanoparticles that are used to encapsulate drugs, including solid-based nanoparticles, liposomes, nanoemulsions, iron NPs, cerium NPs, selenium NPs, and gold NPs. In this review, we have described the use of different nanoparticles as nanomedicine. Nanoparticles are also coated with proteins and antibodies for efficient release of drugs. This review aims to provide clinical insights and the importance of nanotechnology in theranostics and describes how nanomedicine has revolutionized the drug delivery approach for AD treatment

An Updated Review on Preparation and Characterization of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

Drug delivery technology has a wide spectrum, which is continuously being upgraded at a stupendous speed. Different fabricated nanoparticles and drugs possessing low solubility and poor pharmacokinetic profiles are the two major substances extensively delivered to target sites. Among the colloidal carriers, nanolipid dispersions (liposomes, deformable liposomes, virosomes, ethosomes, and solid lipid nanoparticles) are ideal delivery systems with the advantages of biodegradation and nontoxicity. Among them, nano-structured lipid carriers and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are dominant, which can be modified to exhibit various advantages, compared to liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles. Nano-structured lipid carriers and SLNs are non-biotoxic since they are biodegradable. Besides, they are highly stable. Their (nano-structured lipid carriers and SLNs) morphology, structural characteristics, ingredients used for preparation, techniques for their production, and characterization using various methods are discussed in this review. Also, although nano-structured lipid carriers and SLNs are based on lipids and surfactants, the effect of these two matrixes to build excipients is also discussed together with their pharmacological significance with novel theranostic approaches, stability and storage. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are at the forefront of the rapidly developing field of nanotechnology with several potential applications in drug delivery and research. Due to their unique size dependent properties, lipid nanoparticles offer possibility to develop new therapeutics. The ability to incorporate drugs into nanocarriers offers a new prototype in drug delivery that could use for drug targeting. Hence solid lipid nanoparticles hold great promise for reaching the goal of controlled and site specific drug delivery and hence attracted wide attention of researchers. This review presents a broad treatment of solid lipid nanoparticles discussing their aims, production procedures, advantages, limitations and their possible remedies. Appropriate analytical techniques for the characterization of SLN like photon correlation spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry are highlighted. Aspects of SLN route of administration and the in vivo fate of the carriers are also discussed.

Development of upconversion-NMOFs nanocomposite conjugated with gold nanoparticles for NIR light-triggered combinational chemo-photothermal therapy

Having the unique ability to convert near-infrared (NIR) light to high-energy UV–vis radiation, upconversion nanoparticles are currently used in combinational therapy for the development of cancer theranostic approaches. The present work involves the strategy of a designed system based on gold nanoparticles deposited on upconversion nanoparticles via nanoscale metal–organic frameworks (NMOFs) of MIL-53(Fe). Herein, the NMOFs attached upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are not only capable of loading gold nanoparticles but also carrying anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil for imaging and combined photothermal/chemo therapy for boosted antitumor activity. The developed nanocomposite (UCNPs@MIL-53(Fe)@Au) possesses good stability as well as photothermal conversion ability. The nanocomposite can successfully convert NIR laser light (980 nm, 1.4 W/cm2) into heat, and also promote the release of 5-fluorouracil. This recognizes the synergistic chemo-photothermal treatment of cancer cells. Besides enhancing temperature via energy transfer to gold nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles are also utilized as a potential imaging agent. The in-vitro experiments show that the nanocomposite possesses good biocompatibility, and enhanced cellular uptake properties after attaching drug molecules. These findings may deliver a simple and effective way to develop a new type of synergistic chemo-photothermal transducers with high efficiency. We are confident that the nanocomposite (UCNPS@MIL-53(Fe)@Au) could open the door to design a significant multifunctional system for diverse applications in cancer treatment.

TMET-29. THE GLUTAMINE TRANSPORTER SLC1A5 IS ASSOCIATED WITH REWIRING OF AMINO ACID, LIPID, AND IMMUNE PATHWAYS AND TUMOR PROGNOSIS IN PEDIATRIC BRAIN CANCERS

Abstract Glutamine transporters play an important role in supporting increased tumor nutritional demands, often through overexpression of the solute carrier (SLC) family of membrane transporters. We aimed to understand the relationship of SLC transporter expression with pediatric brain tumor subtypes, lipid metabolism and their potential prognostic significance using data from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas (PBTA). Using the expression of amino acid transporter genes, we found that elevated expression of glutamine transporters (SLC1A5, SLC7A5, SLC7A11, SLC38A5, SLC38A3) predicted shorter progression-free survival (PFS) in low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and poorer overall survival in pediatric ependymomas, high-grade gliomas (HGGs), and medulloblastomas. We focused specifically on SLC1A5 given the availability of imaging probes (18 F-Fluoroglutamine and 18F-Fluciclovine) for the corresponding amino acid transporter (ASCT2). Kaplan-Meier analysis found that higher expression of SLC1A5 was associated with shorter OS in ependymoma and medulloblastoma (p = 0.032 and p = 9.8e-4) and shorter PFS in LGG (p = 0.022). We found a universally higher expression of ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC) relative to normal brain tissue across all histologies. BRAF driven low grade gliomas and SHH-driven medulloblastomas showed differential expression of ACLY compared to other histologies. In addition, Acyl-CoA synthetase short chain family member 1 and 2 (ACSS1 and 2) were universally downregulated in pediatric gliomas, indicating that pediatric CNS tumors seem to rely on ACLY over ACSS for lipid synthesis. Gene set analysis showed higher expression and network rewiring of amino acid, lipid, and immune pathways in SLC1A5-high expressing clusters. SLC1A5 correlated negatively with pathways associated with lipid metabolic breakdown/degradation and correlated positively with pathways associated with lipid biosynthesis. In conclusion, our work demonstrates that glutamine transporters, particularly SLC1A5, represent compelling targets in pediatric brain tumors and can be exploited with theranostic approaches and amino-acid PET imaging.

IMMU-41. VERSATILE MRNA-NANOPARTICLE PLATFORM TO REPROGRAM THE BRAIN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND PREDICT TREATMENT OUTCOME

Abstract RNA vaccines have shown great promise as activators of immune responses against viral pathogens but their efficacy in cancer is unclear. Here, we describe a versatile, personalized mRNA-nanoparticle (RNA-NP) platform that can be customized to produce powerful anti-tumor immune activation, reprogram the brain tumor microenvironment, and predict vaccine efficacy just two days after treatment. Lipid mixtures (i.e. DOTAP, Cholesterol) with or without iron oxide nanoparticle-cores were complexed with mRNA encoding tumor antigens. Intravenous administration of RNA-NPs induced robust activation of innate immune cells resulting in prolonged survival in murine models of subcutaneous and intracranial melanoma. Inclusion of cholesterol in the lipid backbone enabled delivery of nucleic acids across the blood brain barrier and into tumor-associated myeloid cells in intracranial GL261 and KR158b tumors. These cholesterol-bearing liposomes not only activated innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (i.e. increased expression of CD80 and MHCII), but also enabled further manipulation of this compartment. Use of RNA-NPs to deliver siRNA targeting PD-L1 resulted in significant reduction in PD-L1 expression among tumor associated myeloid cells, leading to 37% long term survivorship in combination with systemic checkpoint blockade in an otherwise fatal model of GL261. We have also shown that IONPs incorporated into the cores of these particles enable non-invasive tracking of dendritic cells by MRI, enabling creation of a theranostic approach to: 1) enhance immunologic effects; 2) facilitate translocation across the blood-brain barrier; and 3) enable non-invasive imaging to predict response to RNA-NPs.

Recent advances in NIR-II fluorescence based theranostic approaches for glioma.

Gliomas are among the most common malignant tumors in the central nervous system and lead to poor life expectancy. However, the effective treatment of gliomas remains a considerable challenge. The recent development of near infrared (NIR) II (1000-1700nm) theranostic agents has led to powerful strategies in diagnosis, targeted delivery of drugs, and accurate therapy. Because of the high capacity of NIR-II light in deep tissue penetration, improved spatiotemporal resolution can be achieved to facilitate the in vivo detection of gliomas via fluorescence imaging, and high contrast fluorescence imaging guided surgery can be realized. In addition to the precise imaging of tumors, drug delivery nano-platforms with NIR-II agents also allow the delivery process to be monitored in real-time. In addition, the combination of targeted drug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and photothermal therapy in the NIR region significantly improves the therapeutic effect against gliomas. Thus, this mini-review summarizes the recent developments in NIR-II fluorescence-based theranostic agents for glioma treatment.

ICAM1-Targeting Theranostic Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Therapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Owing to the lack of effective biomarkers, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst prognosis among all subtypes of breast cancer. Meanwhile, tremendous progress has been made to identify biomarkers for TNBC. However, limited number of biomarkers still restrain the specifically targeting outcomes against TNBC. Here, to solve the obstacle, we designed and synthesized a new type of biocompatible nanoparticles to amplify the targeting effects for TNBC theranostics. To identify the biomarker of TNBC, the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot among all subtypes of breast cancer and normal breast epithelium. Then, vesicular nanoparticles based on poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) copolymers were prepared by the double emulsion method and modified with anti-ICAM1 antibodies through click chemistry to conjugate with related antigens on TNBC cell membranes and then loaded with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent gadolinium and chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. The targeting capability, diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of this nanoparticle were validated through cell-based and tumor model-based experiments. ICAM1 was expressed significantly higher on TNBC than on other subtypes of breast cancer and normal breast epithelium in both mRNA and protein level. Theranostic nanoparticle modified with anti-ICAM1 was proved to be able to specifically target to TNBC in vitro experiments. Such theranostic nanoparticle also displayed enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy by specifically targeting capability and extending circulation time in tumor models. The biocompatibility and biosafety of this nanoparticle was also confirmed in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this new nanoparticle has been demonstrated with effective therapeutic outcomes against TNBC, providing a promising theranostic approach for MRI-guided therapy of TNBC.

Potential of zinc carbide 2D monolayers as a new drug delivery system for nitrosourea (NU) anti-cancer drug

One of main causes of human death is cancer, and for its treatment, a theranostics approach is necessary. In order to study drug delivery system of nitrosourea (NU) anti-cancer by using of zinc carbide nanosheet (ZnC3NS), density functional theory calculations have been performed. The topological, electronic, adsorption energies, charge transfer and drug release of NU@ZnC3NS were calculated. The obtained adsorption energy for NU@ZnC3NS is −1.23 eV. For the comparative investigation of interaction attributes of NU anticancer drug in ZnC3NS, frontier molecular orbitals, charge distribution, and electronic features were analyzed. In addition, natural bond orbital analysis indicated that charge transfer from NU to ZnC3NS has occurred. In NU@ZnC3NS complex, solvent effects are inclined to decrease binding energy of NU. The results indicate that NU can be easily protonated in tumor tissues, which facilitate NU to release from ZnC3NS. This is the first study to show that ZnC3NS is proper candidate for drug delivery of multiple NU. Therefore, we can utilize the ZnC3 nanocarrier as promising material to delivery of (NU) anti-cancer.

Immuno-PET: Design options and clinical proof-of-concept.

Radioimmunoconjugates have been used for over 30 years in nuclear medicine applications. In the last few years, advances in cancer biology knowledge have led to the identification of new molecular targets specific to certain patient subgroups. The use of these targets in targeted therapies approaches has allowed the developments of specifically tailored therapeutics for patients. As consequence of the PET-imaging progresses, nuclear medicine has developed powerful imaging tools, based on monoclonal antibodies, to in vivo characterization of these tumor biomarkers. This imaging modality known as immuno-positron emission tomography (immuno-PET) is currently in fastest-growing and its medical value lies in its ability to give a non-invasive method to assess the in vivo target expression and distribution and provide key-information on the tumor targeting. Currently, immuno-PET presents promising probes for different nuclear medicine topics as staging/stratification tool, theranostic approaches or predictive/prognostic biomarkers. To develop a radiopharmaceutical drug that can be used in immuno-PET approach, it is necessary to find the best compromise between the isotope choice and the immunologic structure (full monoclonal antibody or derivatives). Through some clinical applications, this paper review aims to discuss the most important aspects of the isotope choice and the usable proteic structure that can be used to meet the clinical needs.

Smart nanomaterials as the foundation of a combination approach for efficient cancer theranostics

Despite numerous FDA-approved treatment and diagnostic approaches, cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide due to delayed diagnostics and the limited efficacy of treatments. The life quality of cancer patients is currently improving due to the development of nanotechnology-supported cancer diagnostics, detection, and nanomedicine for targeted drug delivery approaches investigated for cancer therapy. Considering these aspects, this comprehensive review presents the potential of smart nanomaterials (SMs) including carbon nanodots, metal-phenolic networks (MNPs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), quantum dots (QDs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, and silica nanoparticles, as well as polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, amino acids, proteins, natural polysaccharides, and solid lipid nanoparticles, to manage cancer efficiently in a personalized manner. The outcomes of studies published in the last five years are critically analyzed in this review along with challenges and prospects in terms of a wide range of imaging technologies and therapeutic approaches, such as radiation responsive theranostics, magnetic responsive theranostics, drug delivery, photothermal/photodynamic therapy, and gene therapy. We believe that a novel multidisciplinary and combinational approach can be developed for early-stage cancer diagnostics and treat the diseases with efficacy using nano-based sensors, imaging agents, and pharmacologically relevant cargos. To promote research from the laboratory to clinical application, this review discusses viewpoints based on the tremendous potential of new and developing nanomaterials as a potential platform for cancer theranostics.

Tailoring Polymer-Based Nanoassemblies for Stimuli-Responsive Theranostic Applications.

Polymer assemblies on the nanoscale represent a powerful toolbox for the design of theranostic systems when combined with both therapeutic compounds and diagnostic reporting ones. Here, recent advances in the design of theranostic systems for various diseases, containing-in their architecture-either polymers or polymer assemblies as one of the building blocks are presented. This review encompasses the general principles of polymer self-assembly, from the production of adequate copolymers up to supramolecular assemblies with theranostic functionality. Such polymer nanoassemblies can be further tailored through the incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles to endow them with multifunctional therapeutic and/or diagnostic features. Systems that change their architecture or properties in the presence of stimuli are selected, as responsivity to changes in the environment is a key factor for enhancing efficiency. Such theranostic systems are based on the intrinsic properties of copolymers or one of the other components. In addition, systems with a more complex architecture, such as multicompartments, are presented. Selected systems indicate the advantages of such theranostic approaches and provide a basis for further developments in the field.