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Nanomaterials as Therapeutic/Imaging Agent Delivery Vehicles for Tumor Targeting Theranostics

Abstract:

Malignant tumor is a significant cause of death worldwide and the effective tumor treatment remains a challenging task. The successful cancer treatment is highly dependent on accurate diagnosis and specific therapy approaches. Nanomaterials are of great scientific interest as effective carriers for antitumor drug or imaging agents due to their large surface area to volume ratio or large nanocavity. Over recent decades, a variety of nanomaterials including magnetic nanomaterials, quantum dots, mesoporous silica nanomaterials, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) gold/silver nanomaterials, carbon nanomaterials, lipopolyplex nanoparticles, nano/microbubbles, upconversion nanomaterials, dendrimers and protein-based nanomaterials have been developed as nanocarriers for tumor imaging and therapy. Unlike the traditional low molecule weight contrast media or therapeutic drugs, these new nanomaterial-based medicines enable the incorporation of tumor targeting moiety, imaging agents and anticancer drug in one system. The tumor theranostics combining diagnostic and therapeutic agents in one nanocarrier system has the benefit of early detection of tumors, simultaneous monitoring the disease progression and targeting tumor therapy with minimum side effect. This chapter highlights the advantages of nanomaterials and the emerging concept of theranostics for the effective tumor treatment in the next generation nanomedicine.