Abstract:
Hematological malignancies (HMs) are a heterogeneous group of blood neoplasia generally
characterized by abnormal blood-cell production. Detection of HMs-specific molecular biomarkers
(e.g., surface antigens, nucleic acid, and proteomic biomarkers) is crucial in determining clinical states
and monitoring disease progression. Early diagnosis of HMs, followed by an effective treatment,
can remarkably extend overall survival of patients. However, traditional and advanced HMs’ di-
agnostic strategies still lack selectivity and sensitivity. More importantly, commercially available
chemotherapeutic drugs are losing their efficacy due to adverse effects, and many patients develop
resistance against these drugs. To overcome these limitations, the development of novel potent
and reliable theranostic agents is urgently needed to diagnose and combat HMs at an early stage.
Recently, gold nanomaterials (GNMs) have shown promise in the diagnosis and treatment of HMs.
Magnetic resonance and the surface-plasmon-resonance properties of GNMs have made them a
suitable candidate in the diagnosis of HMs via magnetic-resonance imaging and colorimetric or
electrochemical sensing of cancer-specific biomarkers. Furthermore, GNMs-based photodynamic
therapy, photothermal therapy, radiation therapy, and targeted drug delivery enhanced the selectivity
and efficacy of anticancer drugs or drug candidates. Therefore, surface-tuned GNMs could be used
as sensitive, reliable, and accurate early HMs, metastatic HMs, and MRD-detection tools, as well as
selective, potent anticancer agents. However, GNMs may induce endothelial leakage to exacerbate
cancer metastasis. Studies using clinical patient samples, patient-derived HMs models, or healthy-
animal models could give a precise idea about their theranostic potential as well as biocompatibility.
