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Review
. 2025 Apr 16;42(5):165.
doi: 10.1007/s12032-025-02678-5.

A review on the advancement of polydopamine (PDA)-based nanomaterials for cancer treatment

Rumi Mahata  1 , Sounik Manna  1 , Mrinmoyee Modak  1 , Sujata Maiti Choudhury  2
Affiliations
Review

A review on the advancement of polydopamine (PDA)-based nanomaterials for cancer treatment

Rumi Mahata et al. Med Oncol. .

Abstract

The significance of cancer treatment research lies in addressing the high incidence of cancer, overcoming treatment challenges, and mitigating the harsh side effects of chemotherapeutic agents. Currently, nanotechnology is garnering significant attention for its potential applications in diagnostics and drug delivery, offering innovative solutions for disease detection and treatment. Among different types of nanoparticles (NPs), polymeric nanoparticles comprise biocompatible and biodegradable polymers that enhance drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, minimize adverse effects, increase stability, and facilitate sustained drug release. These polymeric nanoparticle-based nanomedicines offer a versatile platform for various cancer treatments, notably enabling targeted drug delivery directly to tumors, tumor-imaging, hyperthermia, and photodynamic therapy. Being polymeric in nature polydopamine (PDA) nanomaterials are appeared as promising approaches in biology and medicine. This review article offers a concise summary of the latest developments in polydopamine-based cancer treatment, covering key findings, limitations, and emerging trend therapeutic approach of polydopamine nanomaterials, along with the properties and various methods of preparation. Physico-chemical properties of PDA-based nanomaterials in therapeutics have permitted several successful modifications in the field of cancer treatment.

Keywords: Cancer therapy; Drug delivery system; Photothermal activity; Polydopamine; Polymeric nanoparticles.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: This article does not involve ethics. Research involving human and animal participants: No Animals/Humans were used for studies that are basis of this research. Consent to participate: This article does not involve ethics.

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