Theranostic Nanoparticles and Their Spectrum in Cancer

Nanoparticles offer a lot of advantageous backgrounds for many applications due to their physical, chemical and biological properties. Their different composition (metals, lipids, polymers, peptides) and shapes (spheres, rods, pyramids, flowers and so on) are influenced by the synthesis methods and functionalization procedures. However, in the medical field, researchers focus on the biocompatibility and biodegradability of the nanoparticles in their attempts for a targeted therapy in which the nanocarriers need to bypass certain biological barriers. Moreover, the increased interest in molecular imaging has brought nanoparticles in the spotlight for their applications in two distinct directions: therapy and diagnosis. Furthermore, recent advances in nanoparticle designs have introduced novel nano-objects suitable as both detection and delivery systems at the same time, thus providing theranostic applications.