Silica nanoparticles in medicine: overcoming pathologies through advanced drug delivery, diagnostics, and therapeutic strategies

Abstract

Over the last decades, silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been studied for their applications in biomedicine as an alternative used for conventional diagnostics and treatments. Since their properties can be modified and adjusted for the desired use, they have many different potential applications in medicine: they can be used in diagnosis because of their ability to be loaded with dyes and their increased selectivity and sensitivity, which can improve the quality of the diagnostic process. SiNPs can be functionalized by targeting ligands or molecules to detect certain cellular processes or biomarkers with better precision. Targeted delivery is another fundamental use of SiNPs. They could be used as drug delivery systems (DDS) since their structure allows the loading of therapeutic agents or other compounds, and studies have demonstrated their biocompatibility. When SiNPs are used as DDS, the drug’s toxicity and the off-target effects are reduced significantly, and they can be used to treat conditions like cancer and neurological diseases and even aid in regenerative processes, such as wound healing or bone repair. However, safety concerns must be considered before SiNPs can be used extensively in clinical practice because NPs can cause toxicity in certain conditions and accumulate at undesired locations. Therefore, an overview of the potential applications that SiNPs could have in medicine, as well as their safety concerns, will be covered in this review paper.