Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials-Based Recent Approaches in Upgraded Targeting and Management of Cancer: A Review

Simple Summary According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in 2018, the global burden of cancer is expected to grow to 27.5 million new cancer cases by 2040. The present major area of cancer therapies includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy that damages normal tissues or incompletely eradicates cancer. Nanomaterials monitor in surgical resection of tumors, target chemotherapies directly and selectively to cancerous cells and neoplasms, and augment the therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy. It decreases the risk and increases the survival of cancer patients. In the present review, our aim is to combine the different types of nanomaterial applied in different types of therapy. Researchers can be equipped with knowledge of types of nanoparticles, their mechanism of action, and how they add to existing therapies for cancer, for better cancer management. Along with the extensive improvement in tumor biology research and different therapeutic developments, cancer remains a dominant and deadly disease. Tumor heterogeneity, systemic toxicities, and drug resistance are major hurdles in cancer therapy. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, phototherapy, and surgical therapy are some prominent areas of cancer treatment. During chemotherapy for cancer, chemotherapeutic agents are distributed all over the body and also damage normal cells. With advancements in nanotechnology, nanoparticles utilized in all major areas of cancer therapy offer the probability to advance drug solubility, and stability, extend drug half-lives in plasma, reduce off-target effects, and quintessence drugs at a target site. The present review compiles the use of different types of nanoparticles in frequently and recently applied therapeutics of cancer therapy. A recent area of cancer treatment includes cancer stem cell therapy, DNA/RNA-based immunomodulation therapy, alteration of the microenvironment, and cell membrane-mediated biomimetic approach. Biocompatibility and bioaccumulation of nanoparticles is the major impediment in nano-based therapy. More research is required to develop the next generation of nanotherapeutics with the incorporation of new molecular entities, such as kinase inhibitors, siRNA, mRNA, and gene editing. We assume that nanotherapeutics will dramatically improve patient survival, move the model of cancer treatment, and develop certainty in the foreseeable future.

Automated summary

According to IARC, the global burden of cancer is expected to reach 27.5 million new cases by 2040. The use of nanomaterials in cancer therapy has shown promising results, including improved surgical resection of tumors, targeted and selective chemotherapy, and enhanced efficacy of radiotherapy, leading to decreased risk and increased survival for cancer patients. This review aims to compile the various types of nanoparticles used in different cancer therapies to provide researchers with knowledge on their mechanisms of action and potential for improving cancer treatment.