Advances in Prussian blue nanoparticle-based anticancer platforms: synthesis, functionalization, and therapeutic applications

INTRODUCTION: Cancer is a disease that has plagued human health throughout history. Prussian blue is a pigment that has been studied for its uses and approved also to be biologically safe for human use, and has been researched for anti-cancer activity. Prussian blue nanoparticles are a metal-organic framework (MOF) with photothermal, imaging properties that contribute towards the theranostics applications for cancer. They have also been found to possess excellent biocompatibility, immunomodulating properties, and enzyme-like activity, leading to exciting implications for their therapeutic potential. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to serve as a concise and comprehensive overview of Prussian blue nanoparticles and their abilities against cancer with the discussion of the methods of synthesis and their mechanisms. METHODOLOGY: The presented data has been sourced from research articles published within the last 6 years, and the papers have been gathered from the sites PubMed, Google Scholar. CONCLUSION: The collected research presents Prussian blue nanoparticles as an excellent candidate against cancer. Research is ongoing to bring them to light and effectively apply them as a full-fledged anticancer agent, but as no clinical trials have been approved yet, translation remains a challenge. However, the future holds bright horizons as active research is underway.