Nanomedicines in Cancer Research: An Overview

Scientists around the globe are searching for ways to exploit nanoparticles (NPs) to improve human health. The unique physiological properties of NPs like reactivity, conductivity and bioavailability made it increasingly used material for targeted tumour therapy research. Nanotechnology-based chemotherapeutics and imaging agents represent a new era of ‘cancer nanomedicine’ working to deliver versatile payloads with favourable pharmacokinetics and capitalise on molecular and cellular targeting for enhanced specificity, efficacy and safety. There are many pitfalls yet in cancer nanomedicine research like toxicological issues and ethical concerns also. An integrated ‘bench-to-clinic’ approach, realised within a structural collaboration between industry and academia, would strongly stimulate the progression of tumour-targeted nanomedicines towards clinical application.