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Advancing cancer radiotherapy: Harnessing radiosensitizers and nanotechnology for enhanced tumor control
Open accessAbstract
Cancer affects millions of individuals annually, with radiotherapy playing a crucial role in the treatment of over 70% of cases. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of radiotherapy is frequently limited by tumor radioresistance and the associated toxicity to normal tissues. Radiosensitizers enhance tumor sensitivity to ionizing radiation, optimizing doses and reducing damage. This review evaluates diverse radiosensitizers, including natural compounds (curcumin, resveratrol), chemotherapeutics (cisplatin, doxorubicin), and high-Z nanoparticles (gold, hafnium), which amplify DNA damage and ROS production. Advanced nanocarriers-carbon-, lipid-, and polymer-based-improve targeted delivery, specificity, and bioavailability. Various molecular mechanisms involving proteins such as p53, PARP1, miRNAs (miR-21, miR-155), and siRNAs are discussed in relation to their roles in modulating cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and gene expression to overcome resistance. Radioprotectors like antioxidants and amifostine safeguard normal tissues. Ongoing trials with hafnium oxide and cisplatin regimens show promise. Key findings highlight nanotechnology's role in enhancing radiosensitization via dose enhancement factors and synergistic therapies. Implications include personalized treatments tailored to tumor biology, the reduction of radioresistance through precision medicine and data-driven strategies, and ultimately, the improvement of radiotherapy efficacy and patient outcomes.
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“Early studies predominantly focused on high-atomic-number (high-Z) materials, including gold, silver, gadolinium, and hafnium-based nanoparticles, with the primary objective of maximizing radiation energy deposition and secondary electron generation [9,85,95,96].”
From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“Across the included studies, nanoparticle-assisted radiotherapy was frequently associated with enhanced therapeutic activity compared with radiotherapy alone, including reduced cell viability, decreased clonogenic survival, increased apoptosis, enhanced DNA damage, delayed tumor growth, and, in selected studies, improved survival outcomes [14,23,26,87,96,104,105].”
From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
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“Although these combinatorial systems often demonstrate enhanced efficacy experimentally, their clinical development is challenged by issues related to reproducibility, manufacturing consistency, regulatory approval, scalability, and long-term safety [25,96,97].”
From Nanoparticle-Mediated Radiosensitization in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence and Translational Challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
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Nanotechnology-based Strategies in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy: A Mini-review
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Metadata
- Authors
- Shiridokht, F., Kehtari, P., Eskandani, M., Farajollahi, A., & Vandghanooni, S.
- Affiliations
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- Corresponding author
- Vandghanooni, Somayeh
- Venue
- International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-12
- Volume
- 10
- Pages
- 100419
- ISSN
- 2590-1567 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC12581699
- OpenAlex
- W4415958691
- Cited by
- 4
- References
- 215
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4
- FWCI
- 0.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Pharmaceutics X (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Radiation › Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Effects of Radiation Exposure
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Radiation › Advanced Radiotherapy Techniques
- Keywords
- cancer radiotherapy, radiosensitizers, tumor radioresistance, nanocarriers, high-Z nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, hafnium oxide nanoparticles, cisplatin, curcumin, resveratrol, reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, p53, PARP1, microRNA, siRNA, radiosensitization, radiotherapy toxicity, antioxidants, amifostine, targeted drug delivery, precision medicine
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