Table 3. Important characteristics of GNPs for treatment enhancement.

Characteristic	Rationale
High tumor specificity	High GNP tumor specificity offers improved contrast between healthy organs and tumor volume, as well as reducing the total amount of GNPs required during treatment
Effective biodistribution	GNPs must be capable of reaching the tumor volume and be taken up without accumulating in other organs or being cleared through RES.
Persistent uptake in tumors	Long GNP half-lives reduce the number of GNP treatments required during therapy, reducing logistical and financial burden.
Compatibility with chemotherapeutic agents	Negative interactions with other agents may counteract benefit of GNP-enhanced therapy
In vivo imaging potential	Effective imaging techniques can provide useful diagnostic information about the patient’s disease, as well as inform predictive models of treatment outcome.
Radiosensitizing potential	All of the above factors must be balanced with the GNPs’ radiosensitizing properties, ensuring that functionalization for uptake or specificity does not interfere with core sensitizing properties.