Nanotechnological Approaches in Prostate Cancer Therapy: Integration of engineering and biology

Nanocarriers have received special attention in biomedicine for the treatment of various diseases, especially cancer, as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Nanocarriers can improve the potential of contemporary strategies in cancer therapy and also provide new methods for diagnosis and biosensing. The present review focuses on the biomedical application of nanocarriers in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), one of the most common urological cancers in men. The chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic potentials in PCa may be improved using nanocarriers by providing targeted drug delivery and inducing PCa cells' sensitivity via induction of cell death. Delivery of nucleic acid drugs such as siRNA, shRNA and CRISPR/Cas9 system by nanocarriers in PCa therapy enhances the intracellular accumulation of these therapeutics and increases their efficacy in gene expression regulation. The high proliferation rate and metastasis of PCa cells result in poor prognosis. They may be dually suppressed by nanocarriers, as nanoplatforms facilitate co-delivery of drugs and gene therapeutics in PCa suppression. Selectivity toward PCa cells may be enhanced via surface modification of the nanocarriers to facilitate internalization via endocytosis. In addition to their applications for PCa treatment, nanocarriers mediate the detection of biomarkers for PCa diagnosis. [Display omitted] •Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men, and the overall survival of patients with this malignancy is low due to the aggressive behavior of the tumor cells and their ability to develop resistance to therapy.•Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy are possible strategies for treating PCa. The efficacy of therapeutic modalities depends on cancer cell response, drug uptake by cancer cells, overcoming biological barriers, and affecting major mechanisms responsible for PCa progression.•Nanotechnology improves PCa therapy efficacy via targeted drug delivery, sensitization to therapy, preventing immune evasion, and enhancing the potential of genetic tools in regulating gene expression levels.•Biosensors based on nanoparticles may be developed to evaluate prostate-specific antigen levels and other factors for PCa screening and early diagnosis.•Smart nanoscale delivery systems sensitive to pH, redox, and light have shown potential in PCa treatment. Besides, surface modification of nanoparticles can lead to selective targeting of PCa cells.