About this Research Topic
Different from the conventional metal nanoparticles, metal nanoclusters (NCs) consist of a few to several hundred metal atoms with ultra-small size regimes (1-3 nm) and atomic precision. Due to their excellent properties, such as lower toxicity effect in the liver, enzyme-mimicking activities (such as peroxidase-like activity) and higher tumor uptake, metal NCs have great promise in cancer multi-model imaging, radiotherapy and other therapeutic strategies such as radioimmunotherapy. For example, fluorescent silver(I)-estrogen nanocluster displayed good GSH sensitivity and targeting suppression on HepG2 cells. And GSH or protein-protected gold clusters have been proven excellent in enhanced radiotherapeutic effects upon tumors. Although metal NCs have been extensively studied, promoting their use in cancer theranostics, there are still some problems to be addressed. For imaging, most of the reported metal clusters for cancer imaging displayed fluorescence in the range of 400-650 nm. And for cancer therapy such as radiotherapy, tumor targeting ability and combination with other strategies are required. Therefore, new metal clusters with improved fluorescence properties and multi-functionalities are urgently needed.
Metal NCs have perfect size and homogeneity of chemical components, emerging as a new category of materials with many unusual properties and an ideal model for structure-property correlating. This Research Topic aims to collate articles related to the newly developed metal NCs to develop and enrich the library of metal clusters for cancer theranostics.
We welcome submissions of Original Research and Reviews, focusing on but not limited to the following topics:
• Metal NCs with high quantum yields and NIR emission for cell or tumor imaging
• Novel metal NCs for radiotherapy
• Enzyme-mimicking activities of clusters
• Metal clusters for other cancer therapy, such as phototherapy
Metal NCs have perfect size and homogeneity of chemical components, emerging as a new category of materials with many unusual properties and an ideal model for structure-property correlating. This Research Topic aims to collate articles related to the newly developed metal NCs to develop and enrich the library of metal clusters for cancer theranostics.
We welcome submissions of Original Research and Reviews, focusing on but not limited to the following topics:
• Metal NCs with high quantum yields and NIR emission for cell or tumor imaging
• Novel metal NCs for radiotherapy
• Enzyme-mimicking activities of clusters
• Metal clusters for other cancer therapy, such as phototherapy
Keywords: nanocluster, atom-precise, cancer multi-model imaging, radiotherapy
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
