Table 1.

Summary of NPs in development or research stage for cancer therapy

Modification	Payload	Therapies involved	Target cancer model	Outcome	References
PLGA NP	PTX	Chemotherapy	Human prostate cancer lines PC3	Drug delivery efficiency was highly improved compared with free PTX	[31]
PEG, transferrin modified NP	Nucleic acids	Nucleic-acid-based therapy	Human prostate cancer lines PC3 Chronic myelogenous leukemia cells K562	Showed higher efficiency over untargeted particles when transfect K562 leukemia cells	[32]
Tmab modified NP	Docetaxel	Targeted therapy, chemotherapy	Human HER2-postive BT474 cells and HER2-negative MCF7 cells	Increased cytotoxicity in HER2-positive BT474 cells but not in HER2-negative MCF7 cells	[33]
Tmab modified NP	Paclitaxel	Targeted therapy, chemotherapy	Human HER2-postive breast cancer cell lines: BT474, SK-BR-3; HER2-negative cell line: MDA-MB-231	Better treatment efficacy and lower cytotoxicity to human breast epithelial cell control were exhibited	[34]
PLGA NP	Alantolactone Erlotinib	Targeted therapy	Human pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC-1 and Patu8988T	The synthesized NP induced significant cancer cell apoptosis and showed anticancer effect	[35]
Exosome	Doxorubicin	Chemotherapy	Human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231; Mouse ovarian cancer cells; Breast and ovarian cancer mouse models	Cytotoxicity of doxorubicin was enhanced and drug accumulation in mouse heart was avoided	[36]
AuNP encapsulated IONPs/Ag cores	IONPs/Ag	PTT	C57BL/6 implanted with B16-F10 melanoma tumors	The gold NP complex acted well as MRI T2 contrast agent and was an effective PTT agent	[37]
Trithiol-terminated poly-methacrylic acid modified nanorods	Fe2P	SDT, PTT	Human cervix cancer cells HeLa; non-cancerous mouse fibroblast cells L929	The nanorod was biocompatible and showed ultrasound, photothermal synergistic therapeutic properties	[38]

GSH, Glutathione; NP, Nanoparticle; PLGA, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid); PTT, Photothermal therapy; SDT, Sonodynamic therapy; Tmab, Trastuzumab