Current Applications of Gold Nanoparticles for Medical Imaging and as Treatment Agents for Managing Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is an extremely heterogeneous, malignant disease with a complicated tumor microenvironment and a dismal prognosis. Extensive stroma surrounding the cancer and the sequestering of chemotherapeutic agents play dominant roles in tumor growth and metastasis and in suppressing the delivery of cytotoxic drugs to tumor cells. Currently, nanoscience is in the forefront of developments aimed at devising novel techniques to treat tumors. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are often used as potential imaging and therapeutic agents for cancers, since they offer: (1) Passive targeting because of better permeation and retention effects, (2) photothermal effects caused by efficient light-to-heat conversion, and (3) the potential to use simple gold-thiol bioconjugation chemistry to conjugate desired molecules for targeted drug delivery. Together, these benefits can increase the therapeutic success of GNPs when used in combination with conventional treatment strategies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. In this review, we discuss current trends in GNP research in the field of pancreatic cancer theranostics.