Ligand-targeted nanoparticles recently investigated for the diagnosis and treatment of retinoblastoma^a.

Cargo	Mechanism of action	Nanoparticle	Ligand	Biomarker	Zeta potential (mV)	Ref.
Small interfering RNA	Gene silencing	Gold nanoparticles	EpCAM antibody	EpCAM	1.6–2.1	146
Nutlin-3a	MDM2 antagonist/modulator of MDR proteins	Polymeric nanoparticles	Folic acid	Folate receptor	−15.9	133
Curcumin
Etoposide	Topoisomerase 1I inhibitor	Polymeric nanoparticles	Galactose	Sugar receptors (lectins)	+25	66
Camptothecin/two-photon excitation photodynamic therapy	Topoisomerase 1 inhibitor/formation of reactive oxygen species	Mesoporous silica nanoparticles	Mannose	Mannose or galactose receptors	—	89
Topotecan	Topoisomerase 1 inhibitor	Mesoporous silica nanoparticles	Folic acid	Folate receptor	—	87
Deferasirox	Tridentate iron-chelating drug	Dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles	Glucuronic acid	Glucose transporter protein	+5.3	88
Carboplatin	Alkylating agent	Protein nanoparticles	Lactoferrin and apotransferrin	Transferrin and lactoferrin receptor	−23 and −10	143
Carboplatin and etoposide	Alkylating agent/topoisomerase 1I inhibitor	Protein nanoparticles	Lactoferrin	Cancer stem cells	—	153

^aEpCAM – epithelial cell adhesion molecule, MDM2 – murine double minute, MDR proteins – multidrug resistance proteins.