Nanoparticles: The future of effective diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most challenging malignancies in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Conventional diagnostic methods are primarily based on colonoscopy and often lack accuracy, while standard treatment options typically include chemotherapy, which can be unsuccessful due to side effects and (development of) drug resistance. Although new diagnostic methods and timely screening have decreased the death rate from cancer in developed countries in recent years, there still is an urgent need for (novel) therapeutic strategies that render better disease management and clinical outcomes. Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as promising candidates for the improvement of diagnosis and treatment by promoting drug targeting, solubility and bioavailability. For example, NPs can reduce toxicity of drugs by increasing solubility and can be engineered to specifically target malignancies, thereby minimizing unwanted side effects. In this review, we evaluated the potential of implementing various NPs for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.