Hollow micro and nanostructures for therapeutic and imaging applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hollow particles possess tunable optoelectronic properties and high loading capacities.
• They are widely used in bioanalytical and biomedical applications, including bioimaging and drug delivery.
• Their unique characteristics make them suitable for photon-triggered therapies like photothermal and photodynamic therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in the applications of hollow particles in biomedical fields.
• To summarize strategies for tuning hollow particle properties for enhanced biomedical performance.
• To highlight the potential of hollow particles in multimodal theranostic platforms.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on hollow particle fabrication and applications.
• Analysis of strategies for property tuning to overcome biological barriers.
• Synthesis of information on inorganic and organic based hollow particle fabrication routes.

Main Results:

• Hollow particles are effective as contrast agents, drug delivery platforms, and in photothermal/photodynamic therapies.
• Multimodal theranostic platforms utilizing hollow particles show promise for improved therapeutic success rates.
• Recent advances focus on overcoming biological barriers for more efficient biomedical performance.

Conclusions:

• Hollow particles are versatile platforms for advanced biomedical applications, particularly in theranostics.
• Tuning particle properties is crucial for overcoming biological barriers and enhancing efficacy.
• This review provides insights for designing next-generation hollow particles for clinical translation.