Targeted cancer nanotherapy

Significant progress has been made in the development of new agents against cancer and new delivery technologies. Proteomics and genomics continue to uncover molecular signatures that are unique to cancer. Yet, the major challenge remains in targeting and selectively killing cancer cells while affecting as few healthy cells as possible. Nanometer-sized particles have novel optical, electronic, and structural properties that are not available from either individual molecules or bulk solids. When linked with tumor-targeting moieties, such as tumor-specific ligands or monoclonal antibodies, these nanoparticles can be used to target cancer-specific receptors, tumor antigens (biomarkers), and tumor vasculatures with high affinity and precision.