Advances in nanobiomaterials for oncology nanomedicine

Abstract The word “cancer” is generically used to identify a wide range of diseases that are malignant tumors. Malignant tumors are of very different types, with different existing causes, evolutions, and thus with different treatments for each type. However, there is one feature that is common to all tumors: the division and uncontrolled growth of cells. The causes of cancer are not fully known, however, the modification of DNA appears to be responsible for the alteration of normal cell growth. Some chemicals can also induce the formation of cancerous tumors. In recent times, there has been considerable progress in the development of therapeutic drugs that act specifically on detectable molecular abnormalities in certain tumors, minimizing damage to normal cells. The prognosis for patients with cancer is influenced by the type of cancer; however, the grading and the presence of specific molecular markers can also bring benefits to establish the prognosis and determining individual treatments. This chapter focuses on the recent advances in nanobiomaterials (i.e., nanoparticles produced by biomaterials), used for the development of innovative approaches for oncology. Nanobiomaterials may be applied for cancer treatment either by passive or active pathways. In the passive pathway, nanoparticles circulate in the bloodstream and are accumulated into the tumor through enhanced permeability and retention effect; in the active pathway, nanoparticles reach the tumor through targeted drug therapy. Several types of biomaterials (e.g., lipids, phospholipids, polymers) may be used for the production of these nanoparticles, with specific size and surface electrical charge, and may even be surfaced with specific targeting ligands for site-specific targeting.