Metal nanoparticles: a theranostic nanotool against cancer

• Metal nanoparticles have been extensively explored for the management of various disease conditions including cancer.
• Metal nanoparticles showed inherent anticancer activity and can also be used as drug carriers.
• Metal nanoparticles have also been explored as diagnostic and imaging agents.
• Toxicity issues of metal nanoparticles should be considered before clinical application.

Cancer remains one of the most deadly diseases worldwide, but conventional anticancer therapies come with several drawbacks. Therefore, there is a need to develop new anticancer strategies. Theranostics is a strategy that combines treatment with diagnosis and monitoring. Metal nanoparticles are proposed as one of the most promising theranostic agents for the treatment of cancer. Thus, metals including iron, gold (Au), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), and titanium, have potential as anticancer agents, either inherently or as a result of surface modifications. As a functional component of theranostic tools, metal nanoparticles have crucial dual roles as a diagnostic and active therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer.