Nowadays, there is a growing need to enhance the capability of theranostics procedures where nanoparticle-based sensors may provide for the simultaneous detection of several gene-associated conditions and nanodevices with the ability to monitor real-time drug action. These innovative multifunctional nanocarriers for cancer theranostics may allow the development of diagnostic systems such as colorimetric and immunoassays, and for gene therapy, drug delivery and tumor targeting systems.
Nanotechnology offers numerous tools to diagnose and treat cancer, such as new imaging agents, multifunctional devices capable of overcome biological barriers to deliver therapeutic agents directly to cells and tissues involved in cancer growth and metastasis, and devices capable of predicting molecular changes in precancerous cells.