Nanomaterials to Fight Cancer: An Overview on Their Multifunctional Exploitability

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Nanomaterials demonstrate considerable promise in cancer detection and therapeutic applications.
• Understanding nanomaterial-biological system interactions is crucial due to unknown long-term effects.
• Challenges include tracking nanoparticle distribution and tumor internalization while preventing off-target accumulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in nanomaterials for cancer treatment.
• To identify emerging trends and future research directions in cancer nanomedicine.
• To address critical unresolved issues in the field of nanomaterial-based cancer therapies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles published within the last three years.
• Analysis of international databases for relevant research on nanomaterials in oncology.
• Incorporation of a classification system based on multifunctionality, complementing existing reviews.

Main Results:

• Identification of numerous recent advances in nanomaterial applications for cancer.
• Highlighting key challenges and knowledge gaps in nanoparticle biodistribution and targeting.
• Synthesis of trends and future research avenues for improved cancer nanomedicines.

Conclusions:

• Nanomaterials hold significant potential for advancing cancer detection and therapy.
• Further research is essential to fully understand and mitigate potential long-term effects and off-target accumulation.
• Multifunctionality and precise biodistribution are key areas for future development in cancer nanomedicine.