Functional inorganic compounds hold promise for revolutionizing myriad aspects of cancer care
Functional inorganic compounds hold promise for revolutionizing myriad aspects of cancer care lead image
Significant progress has been made in recent years in the field of functional inorganic nanoparticles to fight cancer. These nanoparticles are created by enriching inorganic nanoparticles with other components to do tasks such as enhancing drug-loading efficiency or minimizing toxicity, and several applications are approaching clinical viability.
Researchers have taken stock of these recent innovations and provided an overview of emerging technologies and considerations for translating to clinical practice. Li et al. characterized the current state of functional inorganic nanoparticles and examined challenges that lie ahead for the field.
“What excites me most about my field at the moment is the potential of nanoparticles in cancer treatment,” said author Shisheng Li. “These tiny particles act like ‘smart bombs’ to find and destroy cancer cells with precision, while protecting normal cells from harm.”
New techniques have involved attaching chemotherapy molecules to ensure the particles home in on cancer cells, at which point light or ultrasound waves can cause the particles to heat up, killing the errant body tissues.
The particles have also been shown to boost the potency of immune checkpoint inhibitor medications. One study encapsulated cancer cell membranes with manganese oxide nanoparticles to create toxic hydroxyl and superoxide free radicals to aid with immunotherapies.
Highly x-ray absorbent gold-based functional nanoparticles can overcome the rapid clearance that hampers widely used iodinated contrast agents during computerized tomography scans.
Challenges remain in balancing the therapeutic effect of nanoparticles with a patient’s immune response, particularly in mitigating the side effects of emerging treatments.
Li hopes the paper attracts more interest in both scientists and clinicians to push the technology closer to clinical use.
Source: “Functional inorganic nanoparticles in-cancer: Biomarker detection, imaging and therapy,” by Mengmen Li, Qinglai Tang, Hua Wan, Gangcai Zhu, Danhui Yin, Lanjie Lei, and Shisheng Li, APL Materials (2024). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0231279 .
