Metal nanoparticles and sensitivity/resistance to therapy in cancer: two sides of the coin?

Abstract

Cancer is known to be among the biggest health issues of nowadays, as its therapy has become increasingly more complicated due to drug-resistant tumors. This means that medicine may potentially become ineffective in specific cases, which can result in dire circumstances for the patient. Therefore, research for alternative ways of combating drug resistance has taken the front seat recently. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promise in addressing issues commonly observed in traditional chemotherapy, such as drug resistance. These tiny metal particles are known to greatly contribute to cancer treatment by enhancing targeting capabilities, silencing genes, and delivering medication more effectively. Additionally, metal NPs that have been modified with targeting molecules allow for greater precision in delivering energy to tumors. Specifically, the nanomedicine usage to fight against cancer has grown in popularity. The various factors that contribute to the inability of cancer drugs to effectively kill cancer cells include increased levels of drug transporters that remove the drugs, faulty pathways for cellular death, and low oxygen levels. The use of nanoparticles designed to specifically target and overcome these mechanisms has the potential to significantly improve the ability to reverse multidrug resistance in cancer treatment. Through the development of tailor-made nanoparticles having ligands which binds to drug-resistant cancer cells, the unwanted uptake of drugs in other parts of the body is minimized and improved targeting is facilitated. Studies have found that metallic nanostructures can be employed to examine sensitivity to therapy and cancer resistance. The use of metal NP therapeutic systems not only offers the ability to diagnose and treat simultaneously, but also enables precise and directed drug release. This has the potential to greatly transform the way cancer is treated and managed. Therefore, various metal nanoparticles can be considered possible chemotherapeutic options. Moreover, with the growing understanding of various drug resistance mechanisms in tumors, there is a rising focus on creating NPs specifically designed to combat these mechanisms.