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Open research questions in Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics

139 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 676 Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Elucidating the synergistic effects between RQDs-induced photothermal-mediated oxygenation and ROS production and radiotherapy, - Building an intelligent diagnosis and treatment database of RQDs

    Research progress on radioactive quantum dots for biomedical applications · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap is the lack of a biomimetic strategy for thermally adaptive light-energy management and controllable light-energy conversion. Another gap is the rarity of integration of efficient multistep energy transfer and environmental responsiveness within a single nanoscale architecture.

    Biomimetic Thermoresponsive Nanoassemblies With Three‐Step Energy Funneling for Switchable ROS Generation and Photocatalysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies regulatory approval as a significant challenge for the clinical translation of NIR-II imaging. It highlights the need for improved probe pharmacokinetics, including faster clearance and reduced retention in the body. The paper also discusses the challenges of integrating NIR-II imaging with multimodal surgical systems.

    Delineating precise surgical resection areas: recent advances in NIR-II fluorescence imaging molecular probes · 2026 · DOI

  • Conventional tools such as frozen section pathology have limited field coverage and may yield sampling errors, - NIR-II imaging is still a relatively new field and faces regulatory barriers, - The detected signal from NIR-I fluorophores with detectable shortwave-infrared (SWIR) tail emission may be limited by photon efficiency and tissue background

    Delineating precise surgical resection areas: recent advances in NIR-II fluorescence imaging molecular probes · 2026 · DOI

  • The complex immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer. The need to develop innovative strategies to overcome the physical and biological barriers of the TME. The challenge of achieving deep tissue penetration and controlled release of therapeutic agents in the TME.

    Advancements in polymer-based drug delivery systems targeting the tumor microenvironment for immunotherapy of triple-negative breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • Developing pH-responsive polymeric carriers that enable preferential drug release under acidic conditions - Investigating the role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in TNBC progression and immunotherapy resistance

    Advancements in polymer-based drug delivery systems targeting the tumor microenvironment for immunotherapy of triple-negative breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • We also assessed the major limitations that currently hinder their development and discussed potential strategies to address them.

    Hydrogel-driven construction of integrated cancer theranostic platforms: from diagnosis to therapy · 2026 · DOI

  • Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) represents a promising approach for localized immunotherapy of solid tumors, yet its clinical translation is limited by therapy stress-induced adaptive immune resistance.

    Engineering of Sono-Activatable Immunogels for Immunometabolism Disorder Normalization Therapy of Breast Cancer · 2025 · DOI

  • Tracking and eradicating drug-resistant bacteria are critical for combating implant-associated infections, yet effective antibacterial therapies remain elusive.

    A multimodal defect-rich nanoreactor triggers sono-piezoelectric tandem catalysis and iron metabolism disruption for implant infections · 2025 · DOI

  • Specifically, electron transfer-mediated type I PDT are extensively studied in recent years but is insufficiently addressed in existing reviews.

    Recent Progress of Molecular Design in Organic Type I Photosensitizers · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite significant progress in the development of type I PSs, a holistic understanding regarding the design principles for these molecules remains elusive.

    Recent Progress of Molecular Design in Organic Type I Photosensitizers · 2025 · DOI

  • Photodynamic therapy holds great potentials in cancer treatment, yet its effectiveness in hypoxic solid tumor is limited by the oxygen-dependence and insufficient oxidative potential of conventional type II reactive oxygen species (ROS).

    An Albumin‐Photosensitizer Supramolecular Assembly with Type I ROS‐Induced Multifaceted Tumor Cell Deaths for Photodynamic Immunotherapy · 2025 · DOI

  • However, simultaneous delivery of copper and iron ions and the role of mitochondria‐targeted copper in inducing cuproptosis remain underexplored.

    A Mitochondria‐Targeted Nanozyme Platform for Multi‐Pathway Tumor Therapy via Ferroptosis and Cuproptosis Regulation · 2025 · DOI

  • Abstract Despite the promise of sonodynamic therapy (SDT)‐mediated immunotherapy, the anticancer efficacy of current sonosensitizers is greatly limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and their inability to selectively respond to it.

    Transformable Tumor Microenvironment‐Responsive Oxygen Vacancy‐Rich MnO 2 @Hydroxyapatite Nanospheres for Highly Efficient Cancer Sonodynamic Immunotherapy · 2025 · DOI

  • Oxidative stress is one of the major factors contributing to OA; however, treatments targeting oxidative stress are still lacking.

    High-Throughput Screening Strategy and Metal–Organic Framework-Based Multifunctional Controlled-Release Nanomaterial for Osteoarthritis Therapy · 2025 · DOI

  • However, their therapeutic efficacy is severely limited by a variety of factors, particularly the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME), which not only impedes effective drug delivery but also triggers immune suppression, further diminishing the antitumor effects of Pt drugs.

    Biotin Receptor-Targeting PtIV Oxygen Carrying Prodrug Amphiphile for Alleviating Tumor Hypoxia Induced Immune Chemotherapy Suppression · 2025 · DOI

  • While reviews predominantly focus on transition metal phthalocyanines, a systematic survey on main-group phthalocyanines remains scarce.

    Structure-property relationships of main-group element phthalocyanines in photo/sono-driven cancer therapy · 2025 · DOI

  • However, a general strategy for efficiently designing NIR-II organic molecules is still lacking, because NIR-II dyes are usually difficult to synthesize, which has impeded the rapid development of NIR-II bioprobes.

    Two Key Descriptors for Designing Second Near-Infrared Dyes and Experimental Validation · 2024 · DOI

  • However, their design approaches are limited to a short-distance energy or charge transfer mechanism, while the signal readout relies on fluorescence, which inevitably suffers from tissue autofluorescence.

    Leveraging Long-Distance Singlet-Oxygen Transfer for Bienzyme-Locked Afterglow Imaging of Intratumoral Granule Enzymes · 2024 · DOI

  • Therefore, tactics for enhancing antigen cross-presentation and reshaping the TME need to be explored to enhance the activity of NVs.

    Precise In Situ Delivery of a Photo-Enhanceable Inflammasome-Activating Nanovaccine Activates Anticancer Immunity · 2024 · DOI

  • In the area of biomedical nanomaterials, current literature reviews mainly concentrate on a specific category of nanomaterials and nanotechnological perspectives, while two essential issues are still lacking, i.

    Advances in Nanomaterials for Immunotherapeutic Improvement of Cancer Chemotherapy · 2024 · DOI

  • Metronomic chemotherapy, though designed to overcome these limitations, offers inconsistent results, with effectiveness varying based on cancer types, stages, and patient-specific factors.

    Advances in Nanomaterials for Immunotherapeutic Improvement of Cancer Chemotherapy · 2024 · DOI

  • The development of small molecule photosensitizers based on iridium complex is limited by the mismatch between therapeutic effect and systemic toxicity, as well as the incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying cell death induction.

    High Photocytotoxicity Iridium(III) Complex Photosensitizer for Photodynamic Therapy Induces Antitumor Effect Through GPX4‐Dependent Ferroptosis · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the efficiency of current pyroptosis therapeutics, which mainly depends on a single endogenous or exogenous stimulus, is limited by the intrinsic pathological features of malignant cells.

    Advancing Precision: A Controllable Self-Synergistic Nanoplatform Initiating Pyroptosis-Based Immunogenic Cell Death Cascade for Targeted Tumor Therapy · 2024 · DOI

  • Using immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers is a promising strategy for improving immunotherapy, but these compounds are limited by the hypoxic environment of solid tumors.

    Ultrasound-Triggered Azo Free Radicals for Cervical Cancer Immunotherapy · 2024 · DOI

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139 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 676 Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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