Iron oxide nanoparticles: a versatile nanoplatform for the treatment and diagnosis of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer remains one of the main causes of human mortality, accounting for millions of deaths every year. Despite of several clinical options such as chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), hormonal treatment, radiation therapy, and surgery to manage this disease, the mortality rate is still very high. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for innovative approaches to improve both diagnosis and treatment. Success stories of iron oxide nanoparticles, i.e. Ferucarbotran (Resovist®) and Ferrixan (Cliavist®) for liver imaging, CNS (Central nervous system) imaging, cell labeling, etc. have motivated researchers to explore these nanocarriers for treatment and diagnosis of different diseases. Iron oxide nanoparticles have improved the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs through targeted delivery, heat/ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation on application of external energy and have also shown great potential as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their unique magnetic properties enable sensitive imaging, and surface modification allows the attachment of specific biomolecules for targeted detection of ovarian cancer cells. Their unique properties, <i>viz</i>. magnetic responsiveness and surface functionalization, make them versatile tools for enhancing both imaging and therapeutic outcomes. Present article reviews the literature on the synthesis, functionalization, and applications of iron oxide nanoparticles in management of ovarian cancer.

卵巢癌仍是人类死亡的主要原因之一，每年导致数百万人死亡。尽管有化疗、光动力疗法（PDT）、激素治疗、放疗和手术等多种临床方案用于该病的管理，但其死亡率仍居高不下。这一令人警醒的统计数据凸显了对创新方法的迫切需求，以同步改善诊断与治疗效果。氧化铁纳米颗粒在肝脏成像、中枢神经系统（Central nervous system）成像、细胞标记等领域的成功应用案例——例如Ferucarbotran（Resovist®）和Ferrixan（Cliavist®）——推动研究人员探索这类纳米载体在不同疾病诊疗中的应用。氧化铁纳米颗粒通过靶向递送、外部能量作用下的热量/活性氧（reactive oxygen species，ROS）生成等途径，提升了抗癌药物的治疗效果，同时也展现出作为磁共振成像（magnetic resonance imaging，MRI）造影剂的巨大潜力。其独特的磁学性质可实现高灵敏度成像，而表面修饰则允许特定生物分子的附着，从而实现卵巢癌细胞的靶向检测。其独特性质（即磁响应性与表面功能化）使其成为增强成像与治疗效果的多功能工具。本文综述了氧化铁纳米颗粒在卵巢癌管理中的合成、功能化及应用相关文献。