Use of nanoparticles in radiation oncology

Radiotherapy is a major therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Despite many technology advances in the last two decades, local control remains often suboptimal, especially in locally advanced tumours, which are often hypoxic, and radioresistant. In addition, irradiation of surrounding tissues and organs at risk usually precludes further dose escalation to minimize acute and late toxicities. Radiosensitizing agents such as chemotherapies targeting the DNA repair, or targeted monoclonal antibodies (cetuximab) have been shown to improve local control in many tumour types. More recently, radioenhancers have emerged as a new way to overcome the limitations of radiation. Here, we review the state of the art in this field and will focus on the past and ongoing clinical trials with the nanoparticles NBTXR3 and AGuIX®.