Advancing the potential of nanoparticles for cancer detection and precision therapeutics

Cancer poses a significant challenge with high death rate marked by heterogeneity, complexity, and resistance to available treatments, hence requiring creative approaches to improve early detection and precision medicines. Nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit distinctive physicochemical characteristics, including a high surface area-to-volume ratio, adjustable size and shape, and multifunctionality. This review paper critically explored the recent advancements in various NPs, such as graphene-based materials (to overcome cancer resistance and for diagnostic and therapeutics applications), metal organic frameworks (precised and targeted release of drug, e.g., glutathione-sensitive disulfide bonds for intracellular delivery), carbon dots, rhodamine 6G, polymer-based nanoformulation (CAP/ZnO NPs for lung cancer therapy), gold NPs (as radiosensitizing action), nanocarrier systems (including epigenetic control systems), aptamers, mesoporous polydopamine-based nanodrug, polymeric NPs, pH-responsive polymeric nanostructures (particularly in acidic tumor environment), multifunctional NPs, and carbon coated ferrite nanodots for targeted delivery to cancer cells. We, particularly, investigated their dual abilities in precise drug delivery of several payloads, like small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids, in addition to their capabilities for real-time monitoring of therapeutic response in malignant cells. Moreover, this review underscores how the integration of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning algorithms with such NPs-based architectures is improving diagnostic precision and facilitating personalized cancer therapy approaches, navigating obstacles, including bioavailability and multidrug resistance. By evaluating critical recent breakthroughs about the role of nanotechnology in precision cancer therapy, this review paper highlights the pioneering capabilities of such intelligent nanomedicines in impacting cancer development, consequently advancing patient outcomes.