Nanostructures for Externally Triggered Chemo/Thermal Therapies

Conventional cancer therapies are restrained by morbid off-target effects and the frequent emergence of chemotherapy drug resistance. These limitations have motivated advances in nanotechnology, towards development of targeted nanomedicine, including the use of theranostic hybrid nanoparticles, which combine tumor imaging and therapy for safe and effective cancer treatment. Theranostic nanoparticles with diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities within a single nanoconstruct, enable tumor tracking and spatially controlled drug delivery. External triggering with electromagnetic or sonic fields can further increase the efficacy of theranostic nanoparticles by allowing additional spatiotemporal control on cytotoxic drug release in tumors. In this chapter, we discuss the current progress and challenges in cancer treatment with externally triggered chemo/thermal therapy involving hybrid nanostructures with special emphasis on clinical impact and translation.