title: Nanomedicine approaches in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the malignancy with the highest incidence amongst children (26% of all cancer cases), being surpassed only by the cancers of the brain and of the nervous system. The most recent research on ALL is focusing on new molecular therapies, like targeting specific biological structures in key points in the cell cycle, or using selective inhibitors for transmembranary proteins involved in cell signalling, and even aiming cell surface receptors with specifically designed antibodies for active targeting. Nanomedicine approaches, especially by the use of nanoparticle-based compounds for the delivery of drugs, cancer diagnosis or therapeutics may represent new and modern ways in the near future anti-cancer therapies. This review offers an overview on the recent role of nanomedicine in the detection and treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia as resulting from a thorough literature survey. A short introduction on the basics of ALL is presented followed by the description of the conventional methods used in the ALL detection and treatment. We follow our discussion by introducing some of the general nano-strategies used for cancer detection and treatment. The detailed role of organic and inorganic nanoparticles in ALL applications is further presented, with a special focus on gold nanoparticle-based nanocarriers of antileukemic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, T. Laurian 42, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, Kogalniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Electronic address: tatar.andra-sorina@ubbonline.ubbcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Andra-Sorina
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tatar
authors.affiliation: Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, T. Laurian 42, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Electronic address: timea.simon@ubbcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Timea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagy-Simon
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute, Bul. 21 Decembrie 1918 Nr 73, 400124 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Research Center for Functional Genomics and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu Street 23, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Electronic address: ciprian.tomuleasa@umfcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Ciprian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomuleasa
authors.affiliation: Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, T. Laurian 42, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, Kogalniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Electronic address: sanda.boca@phys.ubbcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Sanda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boca
authors.affiliation: Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, T. Laurian 42, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, Kogalniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Electronic address: simion.astilean@phys.ubbcluj.ro.
authors.forename: Simion
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Astilean
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Cancer therapy; Nanomedicine; Nanoparticles