Self-Assembled Hybrid Nanostructures: Versatile Multifunctional Nanoplatforms for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Self-assembled organic–inorganic hybrids are a class of promising nanomaterials possessing interesting physiochemical and biological characteristics, making them highly attractive in cancer-related biomedical applications. By using self-assembly as a synthetic tool and various organic/inorganic species as the building blocks, scientists are able to create a myriad of hybrid nanosystems. These promising nanosystems show favorable nano-bio interfacial properties, while still retaining their physical/chemical functionalities. The present Review aims to provide a systematical overview of the self-assembled hybrid nanostructures and highlight their implementations in cancer diagnosis and treatment by highlighting notable recent examples. In addition, the existing challenges in the bench-to-bedside translation of these nanotherapeutics as well as the potential technological breakthroughs in the future studies were also discussed in detail. Overall, this Review presents how clinical oncology could benefit from the convergence of self-assembly paradigm and nanotechnology.