Shrinking the battlefield in cancer therapy: Nanotechnology against cancer stem cells

•Current cancer therapies face hurdles such as lack of specificity, cytotoxicity, and drug resistance.•Tumors contain stem-like cells that can drive cancer progression and recurrence.•Successful eradication of cancer stem cells is crucial for preventing cancer relapse and achieving effective treatment.•Nanomaterials have the potential to enhance drug efficacy and bioavailability, offering a promising approach to target cancer stem cells.•With their tunable properties, nanomaterials offer vast possibilities in cancer, prognosis, and treatment at both cellular and molecular levels. Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, presenting a significant healthcare challenge owing to the limited efficacy of current treatments. The application of nanotechnology in cancer treatment leverages the unique optical, magnetic, and electrical attributes of nanomaterials to engineer innovative, targeted therapies. Specifically, manipulating nanomaterials allows for enhanced drug loading efficiency, improved bioavailability, and targeted delivery systems, reducing the non-specific cytotoxic effects characteristic of conventional chemotherapies. Furthermore, recent advances in nanotechnology have demonstrated encouraging results in specifically targeting CSCs, a key development considering the role of these cells in disease recurrence and resistance to treatment. Despite these breakthroughs, the clinical approval rates of nano-drugs have not kept pace with research advances, pointing to existing obstacles that must be addressed. In conclusion, nanotechnology presents a novel, powerful tool in the fight against cancer, particularly in targeting the elusive and treatment-resistant CSCs. This comprehensive review delves into the intricacies of nanotherapy, explicitly targeting cancer stem cells, their markers, and associated signaling pathways. [Display omitted]