A Review on Novel Applications of Nanoparticles in Pediatric Oncology

Nanomedicine has evolved significantly over the last decades and expanded its applications in pediatric oncology, which represents a special domain with unique patients and distinct requirements. Τhe need for early cancer diagnosis and more effective and targeted therapies aiming to increase the pediatric patients' survival rates and minimize the treatment-related side effects to survivors is profound. Nanoparticles (NPs) come as a beacon of hope to provide sensitive cancer diagnostic tools and assist contrast agents' transport to the malignant tumors. Besides, NPs could be designed to deliver targeted drugs and genes to tumors, minimizing the medicine-related toxicities. Metal and metal oxide NPs could be exploited as sensitizers to enhance chemotherapy and radiotherapy effects. Future research should emphasize pediatric models to gain secure results about NPs' safety and efficiency for pediatric cancer patients. This review presents the recent studies on the use of NPs in pediatric cancer management and highlights their impact on diagnosis, treatment outcomes, and the quality of life of the survivors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the benefits that may arise from the use of NPs in pediatric oncology, address the potential limitations and challenges, and discuss the needs for future research efforts.