Inorganic Nanoplatforms for Simultaneous Cancer Imaging and Therapy: Status and Challenges

Functional nanomaterials have inspired revolutionary methods for cancer early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. For instance, the imaging property of nanomaterials with high resolution and sensitivity can be used for noninvasive detection of cancer and visualization of drug transport. Meanwhile, the therapeutic property of nanomaterials with controllable fashion will increase therapy efficacy and decrease adverse side effect. Thus, compared to traditional treatment approaches, the nanomaterials which combines imaging and therapeutic functionalities, will be more suitable for cancer theranostics. This review introduces several types of inorganic nanoparticles, including silica nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles, which can been explored as theranostic nanoplatforms for simultaneous cancer imaging and therapy. We also cover the ongoing challenges of these nanoparticles in clinical applications.