Gold nanoparticle-based theranostics: disease diagnostics and treatment using a single nanomaterial

Raquel Vinhas,1,2* Milton Cordeiro,1,3* Fábio Ferreira Carlos,1,4 Soraia Mendo,1,2 Alexandra R Fernandes,2 Sara Figueiredo,1 Pedro V Baptista1 1Nanomedicine@FCT, CIGMH (Centro de Investigação em Genética Molecular Humana), UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, Caparica, Portugal; 2UCIBIO (Unidade de Ciências Biomoleculares Aplicadas), Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, Caparica, Portugal; 3REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, Caparica, Portugal; 4STABVIDA, Investigação e Serviços em Ciências Biológicas, Lda, Madan Parque, Caparica, Portugal *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Nanotheranostics takes advantage of nanotechnology-based systems in order to diagnose and treat a specific disease. This approach is particularly relevant for personalized medicine, allowing the detection of a disease at an early stage, to direct a suitable therapy toward the target tissue based on the molecular profile of the altered phenotype, subsequently facilitating disease monitoring and following treatment. A tailored strategy also enables to reduce the off-target effects associated with universal treatments and improve the safety profile of a given treatment. The unique optical properties of gold nanoparticles, their ease of surface modification, and high surface-to-volume ratio have made them central players in this area. By combining imaging, targeting, and therapeutic agents in a single vehicle, these nanoconjugates are (ought to be) an important tool in the clinics. In this review, the multifunctionality of gold nanoparticles as theranostics agents will be highlighted, as well as the requirements before the translation of these nanoplatforms into routine clinical practice. Keywords: nanotheranostics, nanomaterials, gold nanoparticle, theranostics, cancer, nanomedicine