Nanotheranostics: Their role in hepatocellular carcinoma

•We reviewed nanoparticles (NPs) properties.•We discussed NPs imaging and drug delivery systems in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).•We also explored NPs with multifunctional theranostic abilities in HCC.•Incorporating multi-mode contrast agents may enhance HCC management. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most prevalent malignancy worldwide. Despite advances in imaging techniques, early diagnosis and management remain very poor. The early diagnosis of HCC requires diagnostic and imaging technologies with high sensitivity and precise quantification ability and with no tissue penetration limit. Nanotechnology-based cancer imaging is a rapidly emerging research area with significant applications in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, which we review here with application to HCC. Furthermore, we discuss the combination of functional nanotheranostics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for targeted delivery of phytochemical therapeutics, chemotherapeutic drugs, RNAi-based therapeutics, and vaccinations. Finally, this review presents the importance of MRI biomarkers for monitoring HCC treatment response. The use of advanced nanotheranostics as MRI contrast agents for imaging, diagnosis and drug delivery may enhance HCC management and provide a new area of research in tumor imaging technology.