title: Nanotechnology-based approaches in anticancer research.
abstract: Cancer is a highly complex disease to understand, because it entails multiple cellular physiological systems. The most common cancer treatments are restricted to chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Moreover, the early recognition and treatment of cancer remains a technological bottleneck. There is an urgent need to develop new and innovative technologies that could help to delineate tumor margins, identify residual tumor cells and micrometastases, and determine whether a tumor has been completely removed or not. Nanotechnology has witnessed significant progress in the past few decades, and its effect is widespread nowadays in every field. Nanoparticles can be modified in numerous ways to prolong circulation, enhance drug localization, increase drug efficacy, and potentially decrease chances of multidrug resistance by the use of nanotechnology. Recently, research in the field of cancer nanotechnology has made remarkable advances. The present review summarizes the application of various nanotechnology-based approaches towards the diagnostics and therapeutics of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Metabolomics and Enzymology Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nasimudeen R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Jabir
authors.forename: Shams
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tabrez
authors.forename: Ghulam Md
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: Shazi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shakil
authors.forename: Ghazi A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Damanhouri
authors.forename: Mohammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kamal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy