Worldwide, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of
cancer-related deaths among humans. Several conventional therapies, including
surgical and non-surgical methods such as liver transplantation, radiation, and
chemotherapy, have been explored to combat this disease and improve the patients'
quality of life. However, due to poor diagnosis of the disease, drug toxicity issues, and
difficulties related to liver transplantation, scientists search for novel techniques to treat
HCC that ensure targeted drug delivery and help in diagnosing the disease.
Nanotherapeutics are a new trend in drug discovery and medicine which deals with
nano-sized formulations loaded with various types of materials such as drugs,
antibodies, aptamers, genes, viruses, etc., and targeted delivery. Moreover, controlled
release of the materials can be achieved through modifying their external and internal
structures as per requirement. Drug delivery through nano theranostics has taken a new
turn as the diagnostic tools tagged with the nano-architectures ensure diagnosis and
treatment simultaneously. Nanotheranostics have significant application in the
identification of cancer progression through continuous monitoring and treatment of
cancer. In this review, we will discuss different beneficial effects and applications of
nanotherapeutics against HCC. Along with that, different upcoming strategies, such as
personalized medicine, layer-by-layer technologies, implant theory, 3D printing
technology, nanorobots, nanocrystals, nano-chips, etc., will be discussed here, which
may pave the path towards successful diagnosis and treatment of HCC to improve the
health of the patients.
Keywords: Diagnosis, Future therapy, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Nanoparticles, Nanotherapeutics, Technology.
