Metal Nanoparticles as Novel Agents for Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and contributes to most cancer-related morbidity and mortality cases. During the past decades, the rapid development of nanotechnology has provided opportunities and challenges for lung cancer diagnosis and therapeutics. As one of the most extensively studied nanostructures, metal nanoparticles obtain higher satisfaction in biomedical applications associated with lung cancer. Metal nanoparticles have enhanced almost all major imaging strategies and proved great potential as sensor for detecting cancer-specific biomarkers. Moreover, metal nanoparticles could also improve therapeutic efficiency via better drug delivery, improved radiotherapy, enhanced gene silencing, and facilitated photo-driven treatment. Herein, the recently advanced metal nanoparticles applied in lung cancer therapy and diagnosis are summarized. Future perspective on the direction of metal-based nanomedicine is also discussed. Stimulating more research interests to promote the development of metal nanoparticles in lung cancer is devoted.

Automated summary

Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rates globally. The rapid development of nanotechnology has provided opportunities and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Metal nanoparticles, a widely studied nanostructure, have shown great potential in biomedical applications related to lung cancer, including imaging and cancer-specific biomarker detection. Moreover, metal nanoparticles can enhance therapeutic efficiency through improved drug delivery, radiotherapy, gene silencing, and photo-driven treatment. This article summarizes the recent advancements in the use of metal nanoparticles for lung cancer therapy and diagnosis, and discusses future perspectives for metal-based nanomedicine. It aims to stimulate more research in the development of metal nanoparticles for lung cancer.