Prospects of nanotechnology and natural products for cancer and immunotherapy

• Jan Filipe Andrade Santos,
• Marcela Bernardes Brasileiro,
• Pamela Danielle Cavalcante Barreto,
• Ligiane Aranha Rocha and
• José Adão Carvalho Nascimento Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1644–1667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.116

• incomplete or still in progress, especially considering the waiting time until a patent is published in the databases [26] (Figure 3A). These results may be related to the necessity of improving treatments for health issues such as cancer. Conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy are highly

• antitumor immune responses with reduced toxicity and fewer side effects [140]. Moreover, this technology can be applied to various cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy [141]. For instance, patent WO2016178224 (2016) describes the

Nanomaterials for biomedical applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Filippo Pierini,
• Seda Kizilel and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1499–1503, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.105

• photothermal therapy (PTT), in which heating special nanoparticles with light helps kill damaged cells, most notably cancerous cells. Most doctors are using this technique since it treats tumors more precisely and in a less invasive way than standard chemotherapy and radiation [32]. Gold and silver metallic

Ferroptosis induction by engineered liposomes for enhanced tumor therapy

• Alireza Ghasempour,
• Mohammad Amin Tokallou,
• Mohammad Reza Naderi Allaf,
• Mohsen Moradi,
• Hamideh Dehghan,
• Mahsa Sedighi,
• Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi and
• Fahimeh Lavi Arab

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1325–1349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.97

• to high disability and mortality, and the exact mechanisms are still unclear. Current chemotherapy faces challenges, including non-specificity, toxicity to healthy cells, the development of stem-like cells, and the progression of multidrug resistance [1]. Drug resistance is a major obstacle in cancer

• ][10]. The main advantage of ferroptosis lies in its cell death mechanism, which bypasses multidrug resistance and improves conventional chemotherapy, highlighting its remarkable therapeutic efficacy [8]. Ferroptosis treatment holds potential for addressing a range of conditions, including liver

• diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, neurological disorders, and chronic wound healing [11][12][13]. Ferroptosis is a unique approach for the simultaneous treatment of cancer cells with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy to increase

Better together: biomimetic nanomedicines for high performance tumor therapy

• Imran Shair Mohammad,
• Gizem Kursunluoglu,
• Anup Kumar Patel,
• Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq,
• Cansu Umran Tunc,
• Dilek Kanarya,
• Mubashar Rehman,
• Omer Aydin and
• Yin Lifang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1246–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.92

• systems [1][2]. Cancer treatment has been revolutionized, yet cancer is treated with traditional methods, that is, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical intervention, accompanied by several lethal implications along with low solubility, poor bioavailability, and fatal off-target effects [3][4]. In

• delivery [115]. Excellent control of shape, size, and genetic modification makes virus-like particles an excellent opportunity for safe and effective delivery of payload to an intended site. 2 Biomedical applications of biomimetic nanoparticles 2.1 Chemotherapy In recent years, the development of novel

Hydrogels and nanogels: effectiveness in dermal applications

• Jéssica da Cruz Ludwig,
• Diana Fortkamp Grigoletto,
• Daniele Fernanda Renzi,
• Wolf-Rainer Abraham,
• Daniel de Paula and
• Najeh Maissar Khalil

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1216–1233, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.90

• pH [213]. This microenvironment of skin tumors has been used to modulate site-specific drug delivery, which leads to an increase in the effectiveness of chemotherapy and also a reduction of the cytotoxicity of antineoplastic drugs [211][212]. The pH-responsive nanogel can be designed with cross

• transfersomes was developed to enhance the transdermal delivery of paclitaxel, an antineoplastic agent, as a strategy for noninvasive topical chemotherapy in melanoma treatment. The transfersomes were prepared using phospholipids and surfactants, such as Tween 80 and sodium deoxycholate, to modify the lipid

• reservoir, enhancing local drug retention. The transfersome-embedded hydrogel can be painted as a patch on the skin above the melanoma, demonstrating prolonged retention time and inhibition of the tumor growth in combination with systemic chemotherapy [189]. Nanogels for topical use in skin cancer

Aprepitant-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: a novel approach to enhance oral bioavailability

• Mazhar Hussain,
• Muhammad Farooq,
• Muhammad Asad Saeed,
• Muhammad Ijaz,
• Sherjeel Adnan,
• Zeeshan Masood,
• Muhammad Waqas,
• Wafa Ishaq and
• Nabeela Ameer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 652–663, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.50

• major health problem worldwide, and cancer patients are treated by using conventional strategies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, alone or in combination [1]. Chemotherapy is the basis of pharmacological cancer treatments [2]. The most common adverse effects in cancer patients induced by

• chemotherapy are nausea and vomiting (chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, CINV), which occurs in 60–80% of cancer patients with negative impacts on the quality of life and patients’ treatment outcomes [3]. About 79% of patients face postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), with 10–40% anticipatory

• nausea and/or vomiting in those who receive chemotherapy. Factors that affect the incidence and severity of CINV in patients are schedule, dosage, route of administration of chemotherapy, age, sex, and history of alcohol use [4]. CINV are treated by commonly used agents such as dopamine antagonists, 5HT3

Radiosensitizing properties of dual-functionalized carbon nanostructures loaded with temozolomide

• Radmila Milenkovska,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Petre Makreski,
• Dushko Lukarski,
• Igor Stojkovski,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska and
• Kristina Mladenovska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 229–251, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.18

• , and photodynamic therapy. Cytotoxic drugs acting by preventing DNA replication and apoptosis via methylation of guanine-rich areas in DNA and by cross-linking guanine and cytosine in DNA strains are a standard in chemotherapy. Among them, the prodrug temozolomide (TMZ) with its active metabolite 5-(3

Recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials for ophthalmic applications

• Jiayuan Zhuang,
• Linhui Jia,
• Chenghao Li,
• Rui Yang,
• Jiapeng Wang,
• Wen-an Wang,
• Heng Zhou and
• Xiangxia Luo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 195–215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.16

• , presenting a substantial challenge in simultaneously preserving life and sight [93][94][95]. Traditional treatment methods include enucleation, ocular chemotherapy, and radiation therapy [96]. Enucleation invariably results in permanent blindness, facial disfigurement, and potential psychiatric disorders [97

• ]. Chemotherapy poses difficulties in accurately controlling drug deposition on the ocular surface and dosage, with frequent administrations often leading to complications such as retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and ocular deformity [98][99]. Direct photothermal therapy (PTT) may induce irreversible thermal

• -tumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo [106]. Additionally, Au nanoparticles synthesized using fucoidan (Fu-AuNPs) loaded with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX), effectively inhibit choroidal melanoma via a synergistic PTT–chemotherapy approach [107]. Fu, as a reducing agent, assisted in the

Probing the potential of rare earth elements in the development of new anticancer drugs: single molecule studies

• Josiane A. D. Batista,
• Rayane M. de Oliveira,
• Carlos H. M. Lima,
• Milton L. Lana Júnior,
• Virgílio C. dos Anjos,
• Maria J. V. Bell and
• Márcio S. Rocha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 187–194, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.15

• interdisciplinary research to find, produce, and test drug candidates until they can reach the market [1][2]. Cancer chemotherapy, for instance, is a type of treatment that deserves improvements not only in the efficacy of the drugs employed to kill tumor cells, but also in reducing the occurrence of the well-known

Nanocarriers and macrophage interaction: from a potential hurdle to an alternative therapeutic strategy

• Naths Grazia Sukubo,
• Paolo Bigini and
• Annalisa Morelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 97–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.10

Realizing active targeting in cancer nanomedicine with ultrasmall nanoparticles

• André F. Lima,
• Giselle Z. Justo and
• Alioscka A. Sousa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1208–1226, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.98

• targeting can also promote usNP transport to the cell interior, potentially leading to more effective drug delivery and chemotherapy. It must be noted that the success of these strategies relies on efficient passive targeting in the first place [83][84]. Nevertheless, cumulative evidence suggests that

• functionalized with RGD peptides as targeting ligands along with chemotherapy drugs and inhibitors of signaling pathways [96][97]. Their simulations revealed that the system composition and the peptide/drug ratio critically influenced the targeting ability of the particles. In addition to computer simulations, a

Synthesis, characterization and anticancer effect of doxorubicin-loaded dual stimuli-responsive smart nanopolymers

• Ömür Acet,
• Pavel Kirsanov,
• Burcu Önal Acet,
• Inessa Halets-Bui,
• Dzmitry Shcharbin,
• Şeyda Ceylan Cömert and
• Mehmet Odabaşı

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1189–1196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.96

• ; temperature- and pH-sensitive nanopolymer; Introduction Almost one in six deaths worldwide is from cancer, and cancer caused approximately 10 million deaths in 2020. Today, nanotechnology is emerging as an effective way to enable rapid diagnosis and treatment of cancer diseases [1][2][3]. The chemotherapy

AI-assisted models to predict chemotherapy drugs modified with C₆₀ fullerene derivatives

• Jonathan-Siu-Loong Robles-Hernández,
• Dora Iliana Medina,
• Katerin Aguirre-Hurtado,
• Marlene Bosquez,
• Roberto Salcedo and
• Alan Miralrio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1170–1188, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.95

• relationship (QSAR)/ quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models, this study explores the application of fullerene derivatives as nanocarriers for breast cancer chemotherapy drugs. Isolated drugs and two drug–fullerene complexes (i.e., drug–pristine C60 fullerene and drug–carboxyfullerene C60

• to compare results obtained by DFTB3 with a conventional density functional theory approach. These findings promise to enhance breast cancer chemotherapy by leveraging fullerene-based drug nanocarriers. Keywords: breast cancer; CXCR7; drug nanocarriers; QSAR; Introduction Breast cancer is the most

• ][10][11]. Besides, in the case of radiotherapy, fibrosis, atrophy, and neuronal damage caused by irradiation can occur [12][13]. Consequently, novel treatments try to reduce the secondary effects while retaining the benefits of standard approaches. Chemotherapy is one of the most extensively applied

Therapeutic effect of F127-folate@PLGA/CHL/IR780 nanoparticles on folate receptor-expressing cancer cells

• Thi Ngoc Han Pham,
• Phuong-Thao Dang-Luong,
• Hong-Phuc Nguyen,
• Loc Le-Tuan,
• Xuan Thang Cao,
• Thanh-Danh Nguyen,
• Vy Tran Anh and
• Hieu Vu_Quang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 954–964, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.78

• the chemotherapy drug CHL. IR780 exhibits fluorescence in the infrared region, which is suitable for pre-clinical applications [12][13]. CHL in cancer treatment attaches to the DNA double strands and prevents them from splitting, disrupting the division and proliferation of cancer cells [12][13

Radiofrequency enhances drug release from responsive nanoflowers for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

• Yanyan Wen,
• Ningning Song,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Weiwei Wu,
• Qixiong Lin,
• Minjie Cui,
• Rongrong Li,
• Qiufeng Yu,
• Sixue Wu,
• Yongkang Liang,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 569–579, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.49

• leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and systemic chemotherapy is the preferred treatment modality for advanced HCC. Curcumin (CUR) is a polyphenolic antineoplastic drug with low toxicity obtained from plants. However, its low bioavailability and poor

• immunogenicity, and their application is limited by high costs [6]. In addition to the aforementioned treatments, systemic chemotherapy drugs including sorafenib and lenvatinib have been shown to be effective at improving overall survival. Nonetheless, patients often discontinue these treatments due to

• ). The special structure of nanoflowers improves the stability and efficiency of the surface reaction [24]. Furthermore, prior research has verified that radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia can significantly improve the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy at approximately 42 °C [25][26][27

Vinorelbine-loaded multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles as anticancer drug delivery systems: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro release study

• Zeynep Özcan and
• Afife Binnaz Hazar Yoruç

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 256–269, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.24

• Zeynep Ozcan Afife Binnaz Hazar Yoruc Yildiz Technical University, Faculty of Chemistry and Metallurgy, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, 34210, Istanbul, Turkey 10.3762/bjnano.15.24 Abstract In this study, a multifunctional therapeutic agent combining chemotherapy and

• uncontrolled proliferation of aberrant cells, which can spread to diverse body regions, encompassing over a hundred distinct forms [1][2]. Current cancer treatments lack a complete approach, as they mostly rely on radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery in clinical environments [3]. While these

• chemotherapy functionalities using a solvothermal method. The incorporation of PDA into the fabricated nanostructures imparts several advantages for cancer therapy and controlled drug release systems because of its robust structural and physicochemical properties. Additionally, aside from enhancing

Nanocarrier systems loaded with IR780, iron oxide nanoparticles and chlorambucil for cancer theragnostics

• Phuong-Thao Dang-Luong,
• Hong-Phuc Nguyen,
• Loc Le-Tuan,
• Xuan-Thang Cao,
• Vy Tran-Anh and
• Hieu Vu Quang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 180–189, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.17

• ][24]. Thus, using IR780 in our NPs would bring advantages for local imaging and treatment. Chemotherapy medications assist in inhibiting the development of tumors. Chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin attach to chromosomes and inhibit DNA replication, while paclitaxel depolymerizes the

• particle [25][26]. PLGA is one of the finest materials for transporting chemotherapy drugs. PLGA transports not only hydrophobic but also hydrophilic drugs. The encapsulation of chemotherapeutics in PLGA nanoparticles has been extensively studied. PLGA has been loaded with doxorubicin, for instance, for

Nanotechnological approaches in the treatment of schistosomiasis: an overview

• Lucas Carvalho,
• Michelle Sarcinelli and
• Beatriz Patrício

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 13–25, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.2

• , Scopus, and Web of Science databases. These searches were conducted from March 31st, 2022, to March 31st, 2023, using the following search keywords: (nano* OR encapsul*) AND (treatment OR therap* OR activity OR chemotherapy) AND schistosomiasis. After obtaining the list of papers, a filter by type of

Antibody-conjugated nanoparticles for target-specific drug delivery of chemotherapeutics

• Mamta Kumari,
• Amitabha Acharya and
• Praveen Thaggikuppe Krishnamurthy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 912–926, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.75

• antibodies, such as increased surface to volume-ratio, surface modification and functionalization, and improved cellular uptake and intracellular stability. In cancer chemotherapy, ACNPs have shown immense potential to achieve targeted drug delivery and combination therapy, to overcome drug resistance, to

Recent progress in cancer cell membrane-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications

• Qixiong Lin,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Yanyan Wen,
• Xiaoqiong Li,
• Donglian Du,
• Weibin Dai,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 262–279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.24

• , cardiovascular diseases, and immune system diseases). Third, the integration of cancer cell-based NPs in existing therapeutic and diagnostic strategies is presented and discussed, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, thermotherapy, reactive oxygen species-related therapies, gene delivery, tumor vaccines, and

• subtype of breast cancer, accounts for approximately 10–20% of all breast cancers [62]. TNBC shows deficient expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) [62]. The treatment of TNBC mainly relies on chemotherapy and surgical

• therapeutic approaches rely on chemotherapy, and other treatment methods usually cannot to achieve therapeutic effects. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of leukemia and is characterized by rapid progression and high mortality [65]. Moreover, AML shows a heightened risk of recurrence

Nanotechnology – a robust tool for fighting the challenges of drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer

• Filip Gorachinov,
• Fatima Mraiche,
• Diala Alhaj Moustafa,
• Ola Hishari,
• Yomna Ismail,
• Jensa Joseph,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Nikola Geskovski and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 240–261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.23

• underlined the importance of an improved classification of lung cancer into specific subtypes that qualify for specialized therapeutic strategies. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have demonstrated enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity in EGFR-sensitive patients compared to classical chemotherapy

• treatments because of their ability to target specific molecular abnormalities associated with NSCLC cells [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which interferes with cell division and kills rapidly dividing cells, molecularly targeted therapy is directed towards somatic genome mutations

• additive antitumor activity via downregulation of the c-MYC–HIF-1α–VEGF signaling pathway in mutated NSCLC with exon 19 deletions (Figure 1) [32][33][34]. Several randomized clinical studies have also reported on the increased effectiveness of combined chemotherapy/EGFR TKI treatments in patients with

Facile preparation of Au- and BODIPY-grafted lipid nanoparticles for synergized photothermal therapy

• Yuran Wang,
• Xudong Li,
• Haijun Chen and
• Yu Gao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1432–1444, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.118

• Yuran Wang Xudong Li Haijun Chen Yu Gao Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Centre, College of Chemistry and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Molecule

Orally administered docetaxel-loaded chitosan-decorated cationic PLGA nanoparticles for intestinal tumors: formulation, comprehensive in vitro characterization, and release kinetics

• Sedat Ünal,
• Osman Doğan and
• Yeşim Aktaş

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1393–1407, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.115

• . Pharmaceutically, clinical failure due to a drug’s wide biodistribution and non-selective toxicity is one of the major challenges of chemotherapy. In addition, parenteral drug administration in chronic diseases that require long-term drug use, such as intestinal tumors, is challenging in terms of patient

• compliance and poses a burden in terms of health economy. Especially in the field of chemotherapy research, oral chemotherapy is a subject that has been intensively researched in recent years, and developments in this field will provide serious breakthroughs both scientifically and socially. Development of

• find new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The absence of an efficient oral chemotherapy is one of the biggest obstacles in cancer treatment worldwide [6]. Various formulation approaches have been used for many years to provide higher drug concentration in colon and less systemic side effects [7

Photothermal ablation of murine melanomas by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle clusters

• Xue Wang,
• Lili Xuan and
• Ying Pan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 255–264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.20

• past decades at an accelerating rate [1]. Depending on the features of melanomas, therapeutic options include surgical resection, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy and several others. Although these treatments could initially meet therapeutic needs, their efficacies commonly drop

Engineered titania nanomaterials in advanced clinical applications

• Padmavati Sahare,
• Paulina Govea Alvarez,
• Juan Manual Sanchez Yanez,
• Gabriel Luna-Bárcenas,
• Samik Chakraborty,
• Sujay Paul and
• Miriam Estevez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 201–218, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.15

• and chemotherapy methods for cancer treatment [15]. Titania nanomaterials as antidotes to venom Snakebites cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide (around 100,000 deaths annually). The only treatment of snakebites available are antivenoms from immunized animals, which contain specific IgG