Nanomedicine in cancer stem cell therapy: from fringe to forefront

Cell Tissue Res. 2018 Dec;374(3):427-438. doi: 10.1007/s00441-018-2928-5. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Abstract

Nanomedicine is the spin-off of modern medicine and nanotechnology and aims to prevent and treat diseases using nanoscale materials such as biocompatible nanoparticles and nanorobots. Targeted cellular and tissue-specific clinical applications with maximal therapeutic effects and insignificant side effects could be achieved by the pursuit of nanotechnology in medicine and healthcare regimen. The majority of conventional cancer therapies eliminate the cells of the tumor but not the cancer stem cells (CSCs). Conversely, the use of nanotechnology in CSC-based therapies is an emerging field of biomedical sciences. This article summarizes the recent trends and application of nanomedicine especially in CSC therapy along with its limitations.

Keywords: Cancer stem cells (CSCs); Drug delivery; Nanodevice; Nanomaterials; Nanomedicine.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Exosomes / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Nanomedicine*
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology*
  • Stem Cell Transplantation*