Triumph against cancer: invading colorectal cancer with nanotechnology

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Recent statistics have reported colorectal cancer (CRC) as the second leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in the world. Early diagnosis of CRC may help to reduce the mortality and associated complications. However, the conventional diagnostic techniques often lead to misdiagnosis, fail to differentiate benign from malignant tissue or diagnose only at an advanced stage. For the treatment of CRC, surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy have been employed. However, the quality of living of the CRC patients is highly compromised after employing current therapeutic approaches owing to the toxicity issues and relapse.

Area covered

This review accentuates the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis, stages of CRC, conventional approaches for diagnosis and therapy of CRC and the issues confronted thereby. It provides an outlook on the advantages of employing nanotechnology-based approaches for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of CRC.

Expert opinion

Employing nanotechnology-based approaches has demonstrated promising outcomes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of CRC. Nanotechnology-based approaches can surmount the major drawbacks of traditional diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Nanotechnology bestows the advantage of early detection of CRC which helps to undertake instant steps for offering efficient therapy and reducing the mortality rates. For the treatment of CRC, nanocarriers offer the benefit of achieving controlled drug release, improved drug bioavailability, enhanced tumor targetability and reduced adverse effects.

KEYWORDS:

• Chemotherapy
• anti-cancer agent
• nanodiagnostics
• nanotherapy
• targeted therapy

Article highlights

• Several genetic and environmental factors are responsible for the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). It initiates in the lining of the bowel and further invades the muscle layers underneath.

• The critical factors affecting the survival rate of CRC patients are tumor metastasis and relapse.

• The current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for CRC have several drawbacks that have prompted the researchers on contemplating improved strategies to overcome the shortcomings and establishing newer techniques supporting early diagnosis and superior therapy for CRC.

• CRC can be prevented by chemoprevention (using oral agents like statins, NSAIDS, etc.) and nutraceuticals. Incorporation of oral agents and nutraceuticals into nanoparticles offers the benefit of targeted release and enhanced prevention even at a low concentration.

• The nanoparticles render significant benefits over the traditional diagnosis and therapeutic techniques such as drug targetability, controlled release, early diagnosis, and lesser side effects due to their unique physicochemical properties, smaller size, biocompatibility and non-toxicity.

• The extensive advantages offered by employing nanotechnology for prevention, early diagnosis and targeted therapy for CRC ascertains promising outlook to fight against CRC.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.