Radionuclide-labeled nanomaterials for tumor therapy: Recent progress and perspectives

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiopharmaceutical Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Radionuclide therapy (RNT) utilizes radioactive decay to damage diseased cells, offering sensitive, non-invasive imaging.
• Effective RNT requires precise radiation delivery to tumors, minimizing toxicity to normal tissues.
• Current RNT faces challenges with radionuclide targeting and achieving sufficient tumoricidal doses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the advancements in using nanomaterials for tumor radionuclide therapy.
• To explore the integration of nanotechnology with various therapeutic modalities.
• To discuss future prospects and challenges in nano-radiopharmaceuticals.

Main Methods:

• Review of current research on nanomaterial applications in radionuclide therapy.
• Analysis of combined therapies including radionuclide/chemo, immuno, photothermal, photodynamic, and chemodynamic approaches.
• Examination of nanomaterial advantages: large surface area, labeling sites, biocompatibility, and circulation time.

Main Results:

• Nanomaterials offer superior properties over small molecules for radiopharmaceutical design.
• Multifunctional nano-radiopharmaceuticals can achieve complementary therapeutic effects.
• Nanotechnology facilitates enhanced tumor targeting and dose delivery in RNT.

Conclusions:

• Nanomaterials represent a promising frontier for developing advanced tumor radionuclide therapies.
• The synergistic combination of nanomaterials with radionuclides and other therapies holds significant potential.
• Further research is needed to overcome challenges and fully realize the potential of nano-radiopharmaceuticals.