Metallic nanoscale-knife application in cancer theranostics

Nanoscale metal is considered the backbone of biomedical nanotechnology. Recently, there has been an exponential increase in nanoscale materials’ biomedical applications. These nanomaterials have mainly been employed in drug delivery systems, prosthetic implants, diagnostics, and therapeutics of various diseases, including cancer. Nanoscale materials have two major classes, namely organic and inorganic nanomaterials. Given the merit of excellent biocompatibility, facile synthesis, target recognition, prolonged circulation half-life, and deference to surface functionalization, the inorganic (metallic) nanoparticles hold promising applications in biomedicine. Their biomedical properties may vary based on their type, size, shape, structure, functionalization, and origin. This review will enlighten the recent advances in nanoscale materials applications as nanoscale-knife in cancer theranostics. Moreover, the external assisted technologies and metallic nanoparticle surface decoration will also be highlighted.