Ceria nanoparticle theranostics: Harnessing antioxidant properties in biomedicine and beyond

Abstract

Theranostic nanoparticles (NPs) which provide both therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities have potential to fundamentally change biomedical sciences and improve disease diagnostics and therapy. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of ceria NPs (CeNPs) therapeutics with combined free radical scavenging activity and biosensing functions as a promising class of theranostic probes in biomedicine. The unique physicochemical properties of CeNPs including the antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties are discussed in relation to their therapeutic efficacy in disease models including neurodegenerative diseases, anti-inflammatory, hypoxic damage, ischemia-reperfusion. The potential to combine the antioxidant properties with sensing functions to achieve synergistic therapeutic and biosensing functions is highlighted with a focus on personalized medicine and next generation therapy. The current state-of-the-art, challenges and opportunities for future development of CeNPs as active theranostic probes in biomedicine are also discussed.