Recent advances on radioactive nanoparticles and their applications

The most common radioactive nanoparticles are the lanthanide and actinide compounds, isotopes of iodine, gold, technetium salts and CeO₂ as well as the p- (P, C, F, Te) and d- (Fe, Co, Cu, Cd, Zn) elements. They have various useful applications. They are used in drug delivery system and in studying various catalytic processes and material structure. Nanoparticles containing radioactive isotopes are currently used mainly for medicinal purposes (imaging and tumor treatments). The use of chemotherapy against cancer brings with itself unwanted harm to the healthy tissues in addition to treating cancer cells. Employing targeted therapy through radioactive nanoparticles, is an excellent alternative wherein the antibodies and other vector can be attached to nanoparticle surface that targets tumor tissues selectively. Their bioaccumulation in cells makes them a vector for radiotherapy, increasing preferential accumulation in tumor tissues. Thus, the healthy cells are protected and effective dose of the medicine increases for the malignant cells. Nanoparticles can be structurally and chemically modified. Due to large surface area, they can be functionalized with large payloads of radionuclide for noninvasive-imaging and radiotherapy. More expanded uses of radioactive nanoparticles is expected in the near future, first of all in nanomedicine and biotechnology. (author)