Cancer Smart Nanomedicine (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Pathophysiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 16831

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
2. CHUP, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Interests: medicinal and pharmaceutical sciences; infectious and cancer diseases; nanomedicine and nanotechnology; drug development and drug delivery; drug-membrane interaction studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), Islamabad 54000, Pakistan
Interests: cancer; cell signaling; apoptosis; molecular oncology; miRNA
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the second edition of a previous issue on the topic of “Cancer Smart Nanomedicine” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers/special_issues/Cancer_Smart_Nanomedicine).

Nanomedicine is revolutionizing the treatment of cancer. The use of nanoparticles has the potential to modulate cancer cells and contribute to higher anticancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy efficacy. Nanomedicine can be exploited in biomedicine for applications, including imaging, drug delivery and targeting. This Special Issue, “Cancer Smart Nanomedicine (2nd Edition)” published by the journal Cancers, seeks contributions assessing state-of-the-art research as well as future developments in the field of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer using nanomedicine. Topics include, but are not limited to, the use of nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of different cancers, including liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, polymeric and gold nanoparticles, among others. Authors are invited to submit their latest results. Original papers and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Marina Pinheiro
Dr. Ammad Ahmad Farooqi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • drug delivery
  • cancer nanomedicine
  • nanoparticles
  • targeted therapy

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 10139 KiB  
Article
Safety Evaluation of Carbon Dots in UM-UC-5 and A549 Cells for Biomedical Applications
by Carla M. Magalhães, Eduarda Ribeiro, Sónia Fernandes, Joaquim Esteves da Silva, Nuno Vale and Luís Pinto da Silva
Cancers 2024, 16(19), 3332; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16193332 - 29 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3696
Abstract
Backgroung: The rising complexity and associated side effects of cancer treatments highlight the need for safer and more effective therapeutic agents. Carbon-based nanomaterials such as CDs have been gaining prominence for their unique characteristics, opening avenues for diverse applications such as fluorescence imaging, [...] Read more.
Backgroung: The rising complexity and associated side effects of cancer treatments highlight the need for safer and more effective therapeutic agents. Carbon-based nanomaterials such as CDs have been gaining prominence for their unique characteristics, opening avenues for diverse applications such as fluorescence imaging, drug and gene transport, controlled drug delivery, medical diagnosis, and biosensing. Despite promising advancements in research, it remains imperative to scrutinize the properties and potential cytotoxicity of newly developed CDs, ensuring their viability for these applications. Methods: We synthesized four N-doped CDs through a hydrothermal method. Cell viability assays were conducted on A549 and UM-UC-5 cancer cells at a range of concentrations and incubation times, both individually and with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Results: The obtained results suggest that the newly developed CDs exhibit suitability for applications such as bioimaging, as no significant impact on cell viability was observed for CDs alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Smart Nanomedicine (2nd Edition))
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16 pages, 14982 KiB  
Article
Mitochondria-Targeted Nitronyl Nitroxide Radical Nanoparticles for Protection against Radiation-Induced Damage with Antioxidant Effects
by Shigao Huang, Min Xu, Qingyue Da, Linlin Jing and Haibo Wang
Cancers 2024, 16(2), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16020351 - 13 Jan 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2049
Abstract
Radiotherapy is a non-invasive method that is widely applied to treat and alleviate cancers. However, radiation-induced effects in the immune system are associated with several side effects via an increase in oxidative stress and the inflammatory response. Therefore, it is imperative to develop [...] Read more.
Radiotherapy is a non-invasive method that is widely applied to treat and alleviate cancers. However, radiation-induced effects in the immune system are associated with several side effects via an increase in oxidative stress and the inflammatory response. Therefore, it is imperative to develop effective clinical radiological protection strategies for the radiological protection of the normal organs and immune system in these patients. To explore more effective radioprotective agents with minimal toxicity, a mitochondria-targeted nitronyl nitroxide radical with a triphenylphosphine ion (TPP-NIT) was synthesized and its nanoparticles (NPs-TPP-NIT) were prepared and characterized. The TPP-NIT nanoparticles (NPs-TPP-NIT) were narrow in their size distribution and uniformly distributed; they showed good drug encapsulation efficiency and a low hemolysis rate (<3%). The protective effect of NPs-TPP-NIT against X-ray irradiation-induced oxidative damage was measured in vitro and in vivo. The results show that NPs-TPP-NIT were associated with no obvious cytotoxicity to L-02 cells when the concentration was below 1.5 × 10−2 mmol. NPs-TPP-NIT enhanced the survival rate of L-02 cells significantly under 2, 4, 6, and 8 Gy X-ray radiation exposure; the survival rate of mice was highest after 6 Gy X-ray irradiation. The results also show that NPs-TPP-NIT could increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decrease malondialdehyde (MDA) levels after the L-02 cells were exposed to 6.0 Gy of X-ray radiation. Moreover, NPs-TPP-NIT could significantly inhibit cell apoptosis. NPs-TPP-NIT significantly increased the mouse survival rate after irradiation. NPs-TPP-NIT displayed a marked ability to reduce the irradiation-induced depletion of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets (PLTs). These results demonstrate the feasibility of using NPs-TPP-NIT to provide protection from radiation-induced damage. In conclusion, this study revealed that NPs-TPP-NIT may be promising radioprotectors and could therefore be applied to protect healthy tissues and organs from radiation during the treatment of cancer with radiotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Smart Nanomedicine (2nd Edition))
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Review

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20 pages, 1537 KiB  
Review
Curcumin and Its Derivatives in Hepatology: Therapeutic Potential and Advances in Nanoparticle Formulations
by Ersin Karatayli, Shifana C. Sadiq, Jörn M. Schattenberg, Stephan Grabbe, Bernhard Biersack and Leonard Kaps
Cancers 2025, 17(3), 484; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17030484 - 1 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1385
Abstract
Curcumin, a plant-derived polyphenol, shows promise in hepatology for treating both malignant and non-malignant liver diseases and a subset of extrahepatic cancers. Curcumin has hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and antiproliferative properties, as is evident in preclinical and clinical studies. This highlights its potential as [...] Read more.
Curcumin, a plant-derived polyphenol, shows promise in hepatology for treating both malignant and non-malignant liver diseases and a subset of extrahepatic cancers. Curcumin has hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and antiproliferative properties, as is evident in preclinical and clinical studies. This highlights its potential as an adjunct to established cancer therapies, especially in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma and secondary liver malignancies. Curcumin also demonstrates potential in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), owing to its antifibrotic and lipid-lowering effects. However, its clinical use is limited, relating to its poor bioavailability and rapid metabolism. Nanotechnology, including liposomal and polymeric carriers, alongside synthetic curcumin derivatives, offers strategies to enhance the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic properties. We propose to revisit the use of curcumin in nanoparticle preparations in chronic liver disease and summarize current evidence in this review article. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Smart Nanomedicine (2nd Edition))
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21 pages, 1381 KiB  
Review
Application of Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia for Cancer Treatment—The Current State of Knowledge
by Marzena Szwed and Agnieszka Marczak
Cancers 2024, 16(6), 1156; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16061156 - 14 Mar 2024
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 8895
Abstract
Hyperthermia (HT) is an anti-cancer therapy commonly used with radio and chemotherapies based on applying heat (39–45 °C) to inhibit tumor growth. However, controlling heat towards tumors and not normal tissues is challenging. Therefore, nanoparticles (NPs) are used in HT to apply heat [...] Read more.
Hyperthermia (HT) is an anti-cancer therapy commonly used with radio and chemotherapies based on applying heat (39–45 °C) to inhibit tumor growth. However, controlling heat towards tumors and not normal tissues is challenging. Therefore, nanoparticles (NPs) are used in HT to apply heat only to tumor tissues to induce DNA damage and the expression of heat shock proteins, which eventually result in apoptosis. The aim of this review article is to summarize recent advancements in HT with the use of magnetic NPs to locally increase temperature and promote cell death. In addition, the recent development of nanocarriers as NP-based drug delivery systems is discussed. Finally, the efficacy of HT combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, gene therapy, photothermal therapy, and immunotherapy is explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Smart Nanomedicine (2nd Edition))
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