Advances in preparation, biomedical, and pharmaceutical applications of chitosan-based gold, silver, and magnetic nanoparticles: A review

During the last decades, the ever-increasing incidence of various diseases, like cancer, has led to a high rate of death worldwide. On the other hand, conventional modalities (such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy) have not indicated enough efficiency in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Thus, potential novel approaches should be taken into consideration to pave the way for the suppression of diseases. Among novel approaches, biomaterials, like chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs, N-acetyl-glucosamine and D-glucosamine), have been approved by the FDA for some efficient pharmaceutical applications. These NPs owing to their physicochemical properties, modification with different molecules, biocompatibility, serum stability, less immune response, suitable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, etc. have received deep attention among researchers and clinicians. More importantly, the impact of CS polysaccharide in the synthesis, preparation, and delivery of metallic NPs (like gold, silver, and magnetic NPs), and combination of CS with these metallic NPs can further facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Metallic NPs possess some features, like converting NIR photon energy into thermal energy and anti-microorganism capability, and can be a potential candidate for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in combination with CS NPs. These combined NPs would be efficient pharmaceuticals in the future.