Using nanotheranostics approach to treat cancer

The concept of theranostics revolves around the stratification of patients into specific groups based on their response to different treatments and their disease risks. Radioactive drugs are used in combination to diagnose a disease and deliver the complementary drug to a molecular target. The main purpose of theranostics is to create an all-in-one package to treat and diagnose at the same time. Some of the latest drug delivery systems used to treat severe diseases, usually different types of cancers, are based on personalized medicine models with novel therapeutic approaches involving the direct targeting of macromolecules to biochemical sites of action.

The use of nanotechnology in drug design has led to the creation of nanotheranostics. Molecular mechanisms and nanotechnology provide valuable information for therapy and innovative design for treatment that are integrated by nanotheranostic approach. The significance of nanotheranostic design is in the ability to perform controlled drug release and distribution, leading to increased bioavailability. Targeting sites with nanotheranostic carriers provide specific delivery to regions such as the cancer microenvironment, which is useful for treating cancer.

The highlights of the book include an overview in cancer nanotheranostics with information about the function and mechanism of the non-cellular components in cancer. The improvements of cancer immunotherapies through this biological strategy are also discussed in addition to different gene delivery vectors and platforms at the nanoscale. Methodology and applications of the techniques used in the development of therapeutic nanoparticles are explained. The role of non-coding RNAs as biopharmaceutical tools in cancer are reviewed. Practical clinical applications in chemotherapy and nuclear medicine that offer diagnosis and treatment effectiveness in real-time are discussed as well.

Since targeting small organic molecules are common, this book mainly focuses on the use of DNA, protein and immunotherapy for cancer treatment. Different applications for cancer treatment are in progress but the basic strategies are similar. The authors hope this book will help both early career scientists and experienced researchers environment to understand current trends and challenges in cancer treatment, in turn, enabling them to widen the scope of their projects.