Sant'Angelo Dorianne, Descamps Géraldine, Lecomte Valentin, Stanicki Dimitri, Penninckx Sébastien, Dragan Tatiana, Van Gestel Dirk, Laurent Sophie, Journe Fabrice
Department of Human Biology and Toxicology (Cancer Research Unit), Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium.
Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology (LOCE), Institute Jules Bordet, HUB, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025 Feb 26;18(3):325. doi: 10.3390/ph18030325.
The emergence of nanotechnology in medicine, particularly using iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), may impact cancer treatment strategies. IONPs exhibit unique properties, such as superparamagnetism, biocompatibility, and ease of surface modification, making them ideal candidates for imaging, and therapeutic interventions. Their application in targeted drug delivery, especially with traditional chemotherapeutic agents like cisplatin, has shown potential in overcoming limitations such as low bioavailability and systemic toxicity of chemotherapies. Moreover, IONPs, by releasing iron ions, can induce ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death, which offers a promising pathway to reverse radio- and chemoresistance in cancer therapy. In particular, IONPs demonstrate significant potential as radiosensitisers, enhancing the effects of radiotherapy by promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation, and modulating the tumour microenvironment to stimulate antitumour immune responses. This review explores the multifunctional roles of IONPs in radiosensitisation through ferroptosis induction, highlighting their promise in advancing treatment for head and neck cancers. Additional research is crucial to fully addressing their potential in clinical settings, offering a novel approach to personalised cancer treatment.
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