Smart nano-systems for tumour cellular diagnoses and therapies

Abstract

The rapid diffusion recently experienced by minimally invasive therapies (MIT) is currently receiving a further significant boost towards modern medicine by the introduction of new nanotechnology-based techniques in the fields of medical imaging and localized therapeutic delivery. The innovative idea of "nanomedicine" is emerging, with its potential to revolutionize the entire disease management process, from diagnosis, through therapy, to serial follow-up, influencing the entire apparatus of medical devices. Nanoparticle contrast agents, in fact, can be targeted to specific cells and tissues of human body, allowing imaging of pathologic processes at a cellular scale. Moreover, nanoparticles are being increasingly involved in the development of new therapeutic approaches (e.g., site-targeted drug delivery, localized hyperthermia, optimized employment of laser and ultrasound power). This chapter reviewes recent nanotechnological applications in the field of non-ionizing cellular imaging and "personalized" therapies, with special focus on innovative strategies for selective cancer detection and treatment. Some very recent experimental results regarding automatic detection of innovative nanoparticle contrast agents on echographic images are also presented. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.