The Role of Inorganic Nanomaterials in Overcoming Challenges in Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Abstract

Colorectal cancer poses a significant threat to human health due to its high aggressiveness and poor prognosis. Key factors impacting patient outcomes include post-surgical recurrence, chemotherapeutic drug resistance, and insensitivity to immunotherapy. Consequently, early diagnosis and the development of effective targeted therapies are essential for improving prevention and treatment strategies. Inorganic nanomaterials have gained prominence in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer owing to their unique size, advantageous properties, and high modifiability. Various types of inorganic nanomaterials-such as metal-based, metal oxide, quantum dots, magnetic nanoparticles, carbon-based, and rare-earth nanomaterials-have demonstrated significant potential in enhancing multimodal imaging, drug delivery, and synergistic therapies. These advancements underscore their critical role in improving therapeutic outcomes. This review highlights the properties and development of inorganic nanomaterials, summarizes their recent applications and progress in colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment, and discusses the challenges in translating these materials into clinical use. It aims to provide valuable insights for future research and the clinical application of inorganic nanomaterials in colorectal cancer management.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; diagnosis; drug delivery; inorganic nanomaterials; treatment.

Figure 2

(A). Schematic representation of the effects of GMCDS-FA@CMC CT imaging and synergistic treatment [132] © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2021. (B). Schematic representation of the effects of Mn₃O₄-HfO₂ preparation, MRI/CT dual imaging, and treatment [136] © 2024 Elsevier B.V. (reprinted from Ref. [136], copyright (2024), with permission from Elsevier). (C). Schematic of IS-AgMNPs excellent Raman imaging to capture upregulated miRNAs in colorectal cancer [213] © 2023 Elsevier B.V. (reprinted from Ref. [213], copyright (2023), with permission from Elsevier).

Figure 3

(A). Schematic preparation of Au@Cu₉S₈, which can realize enhanced photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy under NIR light activation [217] © 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. (B). Schematic of Ag₂Se QDs, which can realize precise fluorescence imaging under NIRII photoactivation [224] © 2023 American Chemical Society. (C). ⁶⁴Cu-labeled GE11-modified polymeric micellar nanoparticles enable targeted uptake by colorectal cancer for high-resolution PET imaging results [239] © 2020 American Chemical Society. * p < 0.05, n.s. represents no statistically significant difference in p values.

Figure 1

Classification of INPs in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Figure 4

(A). The photothermal effect of Bi:Cu₂O@Ha can reach close to 50 °C and has an excellent killing effect on colorectal cancer [271] © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A published by Wiley Periodicals LLC (New York, NY, USA). (B). Cu₂O@CaCO₃, schematic representation of the effect of photothermal/photodynamic/immunotherapeutic treatments, and can be safely metabolized by the kidneys with good biological safety [273] © 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH (Wernheim, Germany). (C). Schematic illustration of the superior effect of magnetic and photothermal iron oxide nanoparticles [141]. (D). Schematic representation of the preparation of the MnO₂ drug-carrying platform and the immune-activating effect produced by delivering DOX and curcumin to the colorectal cancer site [144] © 2022 Elsevier Inc. (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) (reprinted from Ref. [144], copyright (2022), with permission from Elsevier).