Andavar Akshaya, Bhagavathi Varsha Rajesh, Cousin Justine, Parekh Nirvi, Razavi Zahra Sadat, Tan Bo
Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 641021, India.
SRM Easwari Engineering College, Chennai 600089, India.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2025 Mar 26;12(4):341. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering12040341.
Cancer treatment has historically depended on conventional methods like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery; however, these strategies frequently present considerable limitations, including toxicity, resistance, and negative impacts on healthy tissues. In addressing these challenges, drug-free cancer therapies have developed as viable alternatives, utilizing advanced physical and biological methods to specifically target tumor cells while reducing damage to normal tissues. This review examines several drug-free cancer treatment strategies, such as high-intensity focused energy beams, nanosecond pulsed electric fields, and photothermal therapy as well as the use of inorganic nanoparticles to promote selective apoptosis. We also investigate the significance of targeting the tumor microenvironment, precision medicine, and immunotherapy in the progression of personalized cancer therapies. Although these approaches demonstrate significant promise, challenges including scalability, safety, and regulatory obstacles must be resolved for clinical application. This paper presents an overview of current research in drug-free cancer therapies, emphasizing recent advancements, underlying scientific principles, and the steps required for clinical implementation.
癌症治疗历来依赖化疗、放疗和手术等传统方法;然而,这些策略常常存在相当大的局限性,包括毒性、耐药性以及对健康组织的负面影响。为应对这些挑战,无药癌症疗法已发展成为可行的替代方案,利用先进的物理和生物学方法特异性地靶向肿瘤细胞,同时减少对正常组织的损害。本综述探讨了几种无药癌症治疗策略,如高强度聚焦能量束、纳秒脉冲电场和光热疗法,以及使用无机纳米颗粒促进选择性细胞凋亡。我们还研究了靶向肿瘤微环境、精准医学和免疫疗法在个性化癌症治疗进展中的重要性。尽管这些方法显示出巨大的前景,但临床应用仍需解决包括可扩展性、安全性和监管障碍等挑战。本文概述了无药癌症治疗的当前研究,强调了近期进展、潜在科学原理以及临床实施所需的步骤。