Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) represent one of the most promising classes of nanomaterials for biomedical applications, especially in the field of chemotherapy. Thanks to their unique properties, such as high versatility, MNPs can be exploited in all aspects of cancer management, from early detection to diagnosis and treatment. Theranostic, stimulus-responsive MNPs can not only be designed for tumor targeting, drug delivery, and enhancement of conventional cancer immunotherapy, but also to create biosensors, increase imaging performance, and repair damaged tissue.
Despite the enormous potential of MNPs, their high reactivity due to their small size and consequent large surface area could induce unwanted side effects related to their interaction with non-specific random cellular targets, thus inducing high toxicity. Consequently, although the importance of MNPs as promising theranostic agents is indisputable, their translation into clinical practice is hampered by a number of aspects related to unclear toxicity in humans and the lack of in-depth in vivo studies in reliable animal models.
In this Research Topic we would like to collect research papers that explore the pharmaceutical potential of MNPs from the pharmacological point of view. Submissions should evaluate their intrinsic toxicity, solubility, stability in physiological conditions, bioavailability, and propensity to biotransformation. The behavior of MNPs tested both in vitro and, particularly, in vivo models will provide crucial information for the assessment of MNPs biological fate, effects on biological responses, clearance, and degradation, subsequently providing a clear picture of their safe (therapeutic) and unsafe (toxicity) action.
This Research Topic aims to bring to light the potential application of MNPs in cancer treatment, besides their diagnostic and therapeutic (theranostic) properties, whilst considering the factors involved in their toxicological assessment, such as biodistribution, clearance and pharmacokinetics, metabolism mechanisms, long-lasting toxicity, and mechanism of pharmacological activities. From this perspective, submitted manuscripts should also explore the toxicological properties and pharmaco-kinetics of metallic-based nanoparticles with promising application in cancer therapy. We invite the submission of manuscripts to this collection which address, but needn’t be limited to, the following points;
- Physicochemical assessment of MNPs (characterization of the NP’s morphology, size, shape, Zeta potential, density and agglomeration or aggregation propensity etc.)
- MNPs in cancer treatment (Tumor targeting and drug delivery, anticancer action, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, radiation therapy, theranostic properties)
- Biological and toxicological assessment of MNPs in vitro and vivo models
- Interactions with ionizing radiations and study with systems biology approaches
- Mechanism of toxicity and toxicological effects
Important Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.
Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) represent one of the most promising classes of nanomaterials for biomedical applications, especially in the field of chemotherapy. Thanks to their unique properties, such as high versatility, MNPs can be exploited in all aspects of cancer management, from early detection to diagnosis and treatment. Theranostic, stimulus-responsive MNPs can not only be designed for tumor targeting, drug delivery, and enhancement of conventional cancer immunotherapy, but also to create biosensors, increase imaging performance, and repair damaged tissue.
Despite the enormous potential of MNPs, their high reactivity due to their small size and consequent large surface area could induce unwanted side effects related to their interaction with non-specific random cellular targets, thus inducing high toxicity. Consequently, although the importance of MNPs as promising theranostic agents is indisputable, their translation into clinical practice is hampered by a number of aspects related to unclear toxicity in humans and the lack of in-depth in vivo studies in reliable animal models.
In this Research Topic we would like to collect research papers that explore the pharmaceutical potential of MNPs from the pharmacological point of view. Submissions should evaluate their intrinsic toxicity, solubility, stability in physiological conditions, bioavailability, and propensity to biotransformation. The behavior of MNPs tested both in vitro and, particularly, in vivo models will provide crucial information for the assessment of MNPs biological fate, effects on biological responses, clearance, and degradation, subsequently providing a clear picture of their safe (therapeutic) and unsafe (toxicity) action.
This Research Topic aims to bring to light the potential application of MNPs in cancer treatment, besides their diagnostic and therapeutic (theranostic) properties, whilst considering the factors involved in their toxicological assessment, such as biodistribution, clearance and pharmacokinetics, metabolism mechanisms, long-lasting toxicity, and mechanism of pharmacological activities. From this perspective, submitted manuscripts should also explore the toxicological properties and pharmaco-kinetics of metallic-based nanoparticles with promising application in cancer therapy. We invite the submission of manuscripts to this collection which address, but needn’t be limited to, the following points;
- Physicochemical assessment of MNPs (characterization of the NP’s morphology, size, shape, Zeta potential, density and agglomeration or aggregation propensity etc.)
- MNPs in cancer treatment (Tumor targeting and drug delivery, anticancer action, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, radiation therapy, theranostic properties)
- Biological and toxicological assessment of MNPs in vitro and vivo models
- Interactions with ionizing radiations and study with systems biology approaches
- Mechanism of toxicity and toxicological effects
Important Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.
