Advances in Carbon Nanotubes: Revolutionizing Cancer Diagnosis and Targeted Therapy.

Nanotechnology has been applied to the diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of cancer, with Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) serving as an effective platform for these processes. In addition to their known physicochemical characteristics, such as high surface area, mechanical strength, and ease of functionalization, CNTs possess pharmacokinetic properties that enable their use in targeted drug-delivery and diagnostic systems. Through functionalization, biodistribution, cellular uptake, and circulatory time can be modulated, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional therapies, such as low bioavailability and systemic toxicity, and enabling more robust absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion profiles. Targeted CNT formulations can reduce off-target exposure and improve therapeutic efficiency through targeted delivery and controlled release. Besides, conjugation of CNTs to imaging or diagnostic agents enables improved assessment of biodistribution and metabolic characteristics, which justify their use as theranostic platforms. This review describes the new developments in CNT-based drug delivery systems for cancer treatment, with particular regard to their interactions with metabolism and the importance of these interactions on drug excretion. The fact that CNTs cross biological barriers and can boost drug bioavailability highlights the importance of these nanoparticles in enhancing the effectiveness of treatment procedures and minimizing toxicity. However, safety issues, including toxicity, long-term safety, and biocompatibility, are also significant impediments to clinical translation. There will be a need to address such issues by systematizing pharmacokinetic and metabolic studies to assist in developing CNT-based solutions for precision oncology.