Biomimetic Apatite-Based Functional Nanoparticles as Promising Newcomers in Nanomedicine: Overview of 10 Years of Initiatory Research

Early and precise diagnosis plays a key role in successful patient's recovery. Thanks not only to exponential advances in the field of medical instrumentation but also that of nano-biotechnologies and the constant development and testing of new nano-systems, the limit of what is possible in terms of medical diagnosis is being continuously expanded The last decades have in particular witnessed the birth or development of various types of nano-systems for use in cell-based or tissue-based diagnosis. One can cite many examples, which includes but it not limited to gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, liposomes, silica, iron or gadolinium oxide nanoparticles In this regard, the domain of oncology has been rather pioneering; early and precise cancer diagnosis may indeed allow clinicians to propose adequate and anticipated therapy and to significantly reduce the odds of metastatic events An area attracting much attention in the oncology field relates to the search for nano-systems often denoted "nanoprobes" in the context of diagnosis capable of interacting with diseased cells or tissues, in a rather specific way, and thus is capable of identifying and locating tumoral regions in vivo and checking the efficacy of a therapeutic plan versus time.