Nanostructures for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics: Recent advances and future outlook

Nanotechnology holds tremendous promise for advancing cancer treatment and imaging. Various nanostructures, including liposomes, polymersomes, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, and metal nanoparticles, have been extensively investigated for applications such as targeted drug delivery, thermal ablation, gene therapy, MRI contrast enhancement, fluorescence imaging, theranostics, and photoacoustic imaging. This review offers a systematic evaluation of recent advancements in nanostructure applications for cancer, covering studies from 2018 to 2023. A thorough literature searches across major databases yielded over 500 relevant studies. Key insights demonstrate improved anticancer efficacy, site-specific accumulation, reduced toxicity, and real-time therapeutic response monitoring through the use of optimized multifunctional nanostructures in preclinical cancer models. However, the majority of these nanostructures remain in preclinical or early clinical stages. Addressing critical challenges related to pharmacokinetics, tumor penetration, biocompatibility, clearance, and toxicity through detailed mechanistic studies and assessments is essential for clinical translation. Future advancements in bioinspired designs, surface modifications, combination therapies, stimuli-responsive systems, in situ activation, multimodal imaging, and integration with emerging technologies such as microfluidics and AI could significantly accelerate the clinical success of nanotherapeutics, paving the way for precise and personalized cancer care. Ultimately, this review underscores the transformative potential of nanostructures in cancer treatment and diagnostics, while highlighting the necessity of integrated and rigorous optimization to achieve breakthrough outcomes in clinical oncology.