Themed collection Nanoscale approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment

The papers in this special issue highlight recent advances in diverse areas of nanotechnology strategies for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

In this minireview, different silica-based hybrid nanosystems and their recent applications as integrated multifunctional platforms for cancer imaging and treatment are highlighted.

SUPR effects induced by NIR-PIT promote enhanced nano-drug delivery up to 24-fold greater concentration compared with conventional EPR effects.

Physicochemical properties of theranostic NPs are the key determinants of their clinical use.

As clinical nanomedicine has emerged over the past two decades, phototherapeutic advancements using nanotechnology have also evolved and impacted disease management.

This review summarizes the recent progress in anti-angiogenic therapy using various anti-angiogenic nanoparticles (NPs)/NP based drug/siRNA/peptide delivery systems for the treatment of cancers. Anti-angiogenic therapy could be useful as an alternative treatment strategy to fight against cancer in the near future.

This review focuses on microfluidic synthesis of functional nanoparticles with tunable structures and properties for cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Fluorescent/magnetic micro/nano-spheres based on quantum dots and/or magnetic nanoparticles for cancer research.

The multifunctional nature of the porphyrin-loaded nanoparticles will play an important role in cancer theranostics for non-invasive imaging diagnosis, real-time imaging guidance and remote-controlled therapeutics, especially imaging-guided therapeutics.

The effect of surface charge on cell adhesion can be significantly amplified by integrating nanostructures, as revealed by cell adhesion performance, cell morphology and corresponding cytoskeletal organization.

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases that have high mortality and disability rates.

A tetraphenylethene derivative with a structure resembling Tamoxifen is synthesized as a theranostic agent for cell imaging and anti-breast cancer therapy. Its high brightness, excellent photostability and long-term cell tracing properties enable elucidation of its working mechanism and hence provide new insights into drug development.

Denaturing collagen (I) by heat can enhance the transport of nanoparticles through tumor extracellular matrix.

Double PEGylated RGO-IONP exhibited ultra-long circulation half-life and high tumor accumulation for multimodality imaging.

ProCA32.PSMA enables the molecular imaging of prostate-specific membrane antigen in tumor bearing mice using both T₁ and T₂-weighted MRI.

A multifunctional fluorescent derivative of a beta-lactam antibiotic, ampicillin (termed iAmp) shows high promise as a biocompatible shielding agent and an effective dispersant for improving the in vivo effectiveness of theranostic nanomaterials.

Combination of sonodynamic/hyperthermia therapy with magnetic guidance can produce remarkable efficacious therapy in tumor growth inhibition.

The proposed experimental/computational approach could enable prediction of nanotherapeutics performance to treat hypovascularized metastatic cancer in the liver.

Intravenously administered CaCO₃ nanoparticles can induce tumor growth inhibition via local increases in tumor extracellular pH in vivo.

J-aggregates display nanoscale optical properties which enable their use in fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging applications.

This work demonstrates gastric mucin-triggered nanocarrier disassembly for release of antisense oligonucleotides and consequent unassisted cellular entry as a novel oral delivery strategy.

SWCNTs filled with radioactivable metal halides have been covalently functionalized with an antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor.

A reduction and pH dual-sensitive nanovesicle co-delivers doxorubicin and arsenite for synergistic anticancer therapy.

A primary mice colorectal tumor model was established and carefully studied for achieving sensitive imaging with specific upconversion nanoprobes.

A graphitic hollow carbon nitride nanosphere is synthesized as a photosensitizer and a drug carrier for photochemical internalization mediated cancer therapy.

A new type of pH-responsive copolymer was developed, which was used to carry Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and act as a pH-triggered contrast agent for MR imaging.

Tumor-homing and programmable drug release of all-in-one nanoparticles.

A schematic of Cu₉S₅@mSiO₂@Fe₃O₄-PEG (labelled as CMF) nanocomposites for theranostic applications.