Multifunctional Nanoparticles in Precise Cancer Treatment: Considerations in Design and Functionalization of Nanocarriers

Abstract

: Nanotechnology has revolutionized cancer treatment in both diagnosis and therapy. Since the initial application of nanoparticles (NPs) in cancer treatment, the main objective of nanotechnology was developing effective nanosystems with high selectivity and specificity for cancer treatment and diagnosis. To achieve this, different encapsulation and conjugation strategies along with surface functionalization techniques have been developed to synthesize anticancer drugs loaded NPs with effective targeting to specific tumor cells. The unique physicochemical attributes of NPs make them promising candidates for targeted drug delivery, localized therapies, sensing, and targeting at cellular levels. However, a nanosystem for localized and targeted cancer managements should overcome several biological barriers and biomedical challenges such as endothelial barriers, blood brain barrier, reticuloendothelial system, selective targeting, biocompatibility, acute/chronic toxicity, tumor-targeting efficacy. The NPs for in vivo applications encounter barriers at system, organ, and the cellular level. To overcome these barriers, different strategies during the synthesis and functionalization of NPs should be adapted. Pharmacokinetics and cellular uptake of NPs are largely associated with physicochemical attributes of NPs, morphology, hydrodynamic size, charge, and other surface properties. These properties can be adjusted during different phases of synthesis and functionalization of the NPs. This study reviews the advances in targeted cancer treatment and the parameters influencing the efficacies of NPs as therapeutics. Different strategies for overcoming the biological barriers at cellular, organ and system levels and biomedical challenges are discussed. Moreover, the applications of NPs in preclinical and clinical practice are reviewed.

Advanced Nanosystems for Cancer Therapeutics: A Review

“…Multifunctional nanosystems have been developed in the role of drug nanocarriers for precise cancer treatment 277 as exemplified by composite nanosystems for precise sonodynamic oxidative therapy of tumors. 278 Still, only a small portion of these nanosystems contributes to the final therapeutic effect due to the complex barriers in tumors.…”

Radiolabeled Gold Nanoparticles for Imaging and Therapy of Cancer

“…These processes lead to a passive accumulation of nanoparticles in tumour tissues, as shown in Figure 1 [14]. On the other side, the versatile functionalization of the NPs surface with targeting biomolecules (e.g., a peptide or an antibody) allows the specific targeting of tumours through interaction with receptors overexpressed in the tumour cells or in the tumour microenvironment ( Figure 1) [15][16][17]. biomolecules (e.g., a peptide or an antibody) allows the specific targeting of tumours through interaction with receptors overexpressed in the tumour cells or in the tumour microenvironment ( Figure 1) [15][16][17].…”

“…On the other side, the versatile functionalization of the NPs surface with targeting biomolecules (e.g., a peptide or an antibody) allows the specific targeting of tumours through interaction with receptors overexpressed in the tumour cells or in the tumour microenvironment ( Figure 1) [15][16][17]. biomolecules (e.g., a peptide or an antibody) allows the specific targeting of tumours through interaction with receptors overexpressed in the tumour cells or in the tumour microenvironment ( Figure 1) [15][16][17]. For biomedical applications, namely for cancer imaging and therapy, AuNPs offer the possibility of a versatile functionalization with targeting biomolecules for specific accumulation in tumour tissues, allowing more precise diagnostics and/or localized therapeutic effects.…”

“…Moreover, there are currently available different methods to manipulate the size and shape of gold nanoparticles, spanning from shapes like nanospheres (or nanoshells), nanorods, nanocages to nanostars (Figure 2), to obtain AuNPs tailored to the different biomedical uses [19,20]. biomolecules (e.g., a peptide or an antibody) allows the specific targeting of tumours through interaction with receptors overexpressed in the tumour cells or in the tumour microenvironment ( Figure 1) [15][16][17]. For biomedical applications, namely for cancer imaging and therapy, AuNPs offer the possibility of a versatile functionalization with targeting biomolecules for specific accumulation in tumour tissues, allowing more precise diagnostics and/or localized therapeutic effects.…”

The effect of ZnO nanoparticles functionalized with glutamine and conjugated with thiosemicarbazide on triggering of apoptosis adenocarcinoma gastric (AGS) cell line

“…Recently, the development of metal NPs is gaining consideration, due to their cancer diagnosis, tumor imaging, and drug delivery (Lu et al, 2020).…”