Cancer Theranostic Applications of MXenes

Cancer is one of the leading and increasing causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer theranostics is the combination of diagnosis and therapy of cancer with the aim of providing early diagnosis and precise treatment. The rapid progress of two-dimensional (2D) materials has accelerated the emergence of various 2D nanomaterials applicable in extensive applications, especially in nanomedicine. MXenes, as a rapidly growing family of 2D materials, have shown promising applications in cancer theranostics due to their exciting biocompatibility and tunable electronic and optical properties. The efficient application of MXenes in cancer theranostics can result in paving significant leap in oncology research. These materials offer assuring opportunities for cancer photoacoustic imaging along with innovative cancer therapy methods, such as photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and combined therapy. In this chapter, concepts of these novel cancer therapy methods are briefly explained, and the properties and potentials of MXenes in cancer theranostics are systematically discussed. In the end, the current challenges and future prospects for MXenes in the field of cancer theranostics are highlighted.