Nanomaterials in Cancer Therapy Applications

Nanomaterials have emerged as a versatile platform for cancer therapy, offering precise delivery of therapeutic agents, multimodal imaging capabilities and on‐demand activation within the tumour microenvironment. Two‐dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, black phosphorus and transition metal dichalcogenides combine large surface areas with tunable electronic and optical properties to enable photothermal, photodynamic and chemodynamic therapies. Carbon‐based nanostructures and clay‐derived nanosheets provide biocompatible scaffolds for photosensitiser loading and reactive oxygen species generation. Hybrid constructs, including lipid‐ or polymer‐coated quantum dots and mesoporous silica frameworks, achieve high drug encapsulation efficiencies and controlled release under near‐infrared illumination. By integrating diagnostic imaging and therapeutic functionalities, these ‘theranostic’ nanoplatforms promise real‐time monitoring of treatment response, minimisation of off‐target toxicity and synergistic combination regimens that exploit heat, light and catalytic chemistry to overcome tumour resistance.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Innovative exfoliation of vermiculite has yielded ultrathin core‐layer nanosheets rich in MgO and Fe₂O₃, with engineered bandgaps tailored for light‐driven tumour theranostics. These functional nanosheets exhibit enhanced conductivity, strong light absorption and reactive oxygen species generation, demonstrating potential for multimodal imaging and combined photothermal–chemodynamic therapy within acidic tumour regions. In another advance, black phosphorus nanosheets have been doped with Cu²⁺ to balance photothermal stability and rapid biodegradation. The resultant BP@Cu constructs achieve sustained heat generation under near‐infrared laser irradiation, accelerated in vivo clearance and catalytic enhancement of Fenton‐type radical production. Incorporation of ⁶⁴Cu²⁺ further enables positron emission tomography guidance, supporting precise localisation and quantitative tracking of therapeutic delivery.

Nanomaterials in Cancer Therapy Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanomaterials in cancer therapy applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Two‐dimensional (2D) nanomaterials: Materials with thicknesses of a few atomic layers, offering high surface‐to‐volume ratio and unique electronic and optical characteristics.

Photothermal therapy (PTT): A technique that uses light‐absorbing agents to convert near-infrared irradiation into heat, resulting in targeted tumour ablation.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT): A treatment modality in which light-activated photosensitisers generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species to kill cancer cells.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT): A strategy exploiting endogenous tumour chemistry, typically via Fenton reactions, to produce hydroxyl radicals and induce oxidative damage.

Theranostics: Integrated systems combining diagnostic imaging and therapeutic functions within a single nanoplatform for real‐time monitoring and treatment adjustment.

Fenton reaction: Iron‐catalysed conversion of hydrogen peroxide into highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, leveraged in chemodynamic therapy.

References

1. Polydopamine‐Modified 2D Iron (II) Immobilized MnPS3 Nanosheets for Multimodal Imaging‐Guided Cancer Synergistic Photothermal‐Chemodynamic Therapy. Advanced Science (2023).
2. Marriage of black phosphorus and Cu2+ as effective photothermal agents for PET-guided combination cancer therapy. Nature Communications (2020).
3. Capturing functional two-dimensional nanosheets from sandwich-structure vermiculite for cancer theranostics. Nature Communications (2021).
4. A biomimetic hybrid nanoplatform for encapsulation and precisely controlled delivery of theranostic agents. Nature Communications (2015).
5. Carbon-Based Materials in Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapies Applied to Tumor Destruction. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021).
6. Current Advances in Black Phosphorus‐Based Drug Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy. Advanced Science (2021).