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Review
. 2024 Feb 1:4:1339936.
doi: 10.3389/fddev.2024.1339936. eCollection 2024.

Future theranostic strategies: emerging ovarian cancer biomarkers to bridge the gap between diagnosis and treatment

Weranga Rajapaksha  1 , Riya Khetan  1 , Ian R D Johnson  1 , Anton Blencowe  1   2 , Sanjay Garg  1 , Hugo Albrecht  1 , Todd A Gillam  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Future theranostic strategies: emerging ovarian cancer biomarkers to bridge the gap between diagnosis and treatment

Weranga Rajapaksha et al. Front Drug Deliv. .

Abstract

Ovarian cancers are a complex and heterogenic group of malignancies that are difficult to detect, diagnose and treat. Fortunately, considerable knowledge of ovarian cancer specific biomarkers has been generated, that is pertinent to the development of novel theranostic platforms by combining therapies and diagnostics. Genomic and proteomic data has been invaluable in providing critical biomolecular targets for ovarian cancer theranostic approaches. Exploitation of the wealth of biomarker research that has been conducted offers viable targets as beacons for ovarian cancer detection, diagnosis, and therapeutic targeting. These markers can be used in theranostics, a treatment strategy that combines therapy and diagnostics and is common in nuclear medicine, where radionuclides are used for both diagnosis and treatment. The development of theranostics has taken substantial focus in recent years in the battle against ovarian cancer. Yet to date only one theranostic technology has emerged in clinical practice. However, given the wealth of ovarian cancer biomarkers the field is poised to see the emergence of revolutionary disease treatment and monitoring outcomes through their incorporation into the development of theranostic strategies. The future of ovarian cancer treatment is set to enable precise diagnosis, targeted treatment, and vigilant monitoring. This review aims to assess the status of ovarian cancer diagnostic tools and biomarkers in practice, clinical development, or pre-clinical development, highlighting newly emerging theranostic applications.

Keywords: biomarkers; diagnostics; nanomedicine; ovarian cancer; theragnostics; theranostics; therapeutics; tumor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic diagram representing the currently integrated diagnostic, imaging, and therapeutic approaches in ovarian cancer.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Emerging theranostic approaches in ovarian cancer.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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