Tuning Nanosiliceous Framework for Enhanced Cancer Theranostic Applications

As nanotechnology rapidly advances, siliceous nanomaterials have become increasingly examined for biomedical applications. To further expand their advantageous physicochemical properties and counter intrinsic limitations challenging their progress toward clinical translation, strategies ranging from new fabrication methods to diverse forms of modifications have been proposed. Among them, direct incorporation of foreign species into the siliceous frameworks has emerged. The incorporation of inorganic or organic moieties into an otherwise purely siliceous framework enriches the structure with novel or improved properties. In this review, the progress of inorganic modification is mainly examined on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) due to their widely appreciated attributes that garnered them an important position within cancer nanomedicine, while organic modifications are studied through designs of mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (MONs). General synthesis methods and philosophies behind framework modifications are first discussed in brief. Subsequently, several interesting inorganically doped MSNs and formulations of MONs are studied for their advantages, including the role of catalysis after metal impregnation, improved biodegradability, novel stimuli‐responsiveness, role in bioimaging, and enhancing the outcomes of key treatment strategies. Finally, the advances are summarized, along with proposed prospects for these hybrid materials in their progress toward clinical use. Herein, an overview of the research progress in nanosiliceous framework modifications is provided, to highlight the impact of different inorganic and organic doping on the materials' performance as cancer theranostics. This review will offer others a summarized picture of the various advancements in this field, as well as some limitations to be improved upon before further progress into clinical translation.