Initially, metal derived nanoparticles have been used exclusively as contrasting agents in magnetic resonance imaging. Today, green routes of chemical synthesis together with numerous modifications of the core and surface gave rise to a plethora of biomedical applications of metal derived nanoparticles including tumor imaging, diagnostics, and therapy. These materials are an emerging class of tools for tumor theranostics. Nevertheless, the spectrum of clinically approved metal nanoparticles remains narrow, as the safety, specificity and efficiency still have to be improved. In this review we summarize the major directions for development and biomedical applications of metal based nanoparticles and analyze their effects on tumor cells and microenvironment. We discuss the advantages and possible limitations of metal nanoparticle-based tumor theranostics, as well as the potential strategies to improve the in vivo performance of these unique materials.

最初，金属衍生的纳米粒子仅在磁共振成像中用作造影剂。如今，化学合成的绿色路线以及对核和表面的大量修饰导致金属衍生的纳米粒子在生物医学中的大量应用，包括肿瘤成像，诊断和治疗。这些材料是用于肿瘤治疗的新兴工具。然而，由于仍必须提高安全性，特异性和效率，临床上认可的金属纳米颗粒的光谱仍然狭窄。在这篇综述中，我们总结了金属基纳米颗粒的发展和生物医学应用的主要方向，并分析了它们对肿瘤细胞和微环境的影响。