Why nanodiamond carriers manage to overcome drug resistance in cancer

Nanodiamonds represent an attractive potential carrier for anticancer drugs. The main advantages of nanodiamond particles with respect to medical applications are their high compatibility with non-cancerous cells, feasible surface decoration with therapeutic and cancer-cell targeting molecules, and their relatively low manufacturing cost. Additionally, nanodiamond carriers significantly increase treatment efficacy of the loaded drug, so anticancer drugs execute more effectively at a lower dose. Subsequently, lower drug dose results in less extensive side effects. The carriers decorated with a targeting molecule accumulate primarily in the tumor tissue, and those nanodiamond particles impair efflux of the drug from cancer cells. Therapeutic approaches considering nanodiamond carriers were already tested in vitro, as well as in vivo. Now, researchers focus particularly on the possible side effects of nanodiamond carriers applied systemically in vivo. The behavior of nanodiamond carriers depends heavily on their surface coatings, so each therapeutic complex must be evaluated separately. Generally, it seems that site-specific application of nanodiamond carriers is a rather safe therapeutic approach, but intravenous application needs further study. The benefits of nanodiamond carriers are remarkable and represent a potent approach to overcome the drug resistance of many cancers.