AUTHOR=Li Dezheng , Wu Weilian , Liu Haicheng , Lou Kecheng 

TITLE=SPIONs as theranostic agents in bladder and prostate cancer: integrating diagnosis and therapy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nanotechnology

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nanotechnology/articles/10.3389/fnano.2025.1660979

DOI=10.3389/fnano.2025.1660979

ISSN=2673-3013

ABSTRACT=Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have emerged as transformative theranostic platforms in urological oncology. This review systematically synthesizes literature from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus (2010–2024) to evaluate SPION-based strategies for bladder cancer (BCa) and prostate cancer (PCa). We highlight their role in enhancing diagnostic precision (e.g., PSMA-targeted MRI, sentinel lymph node navigation) and enabling innovative therapies (e.g., magneto-photothermal synergy, ferroptosis immunomodulation). Key advantages include superior targeting, multimodal imaging capability, and the ability to overcome physiological barriers such as the blood-prostate and blood-urine barriers. While preclinical results are promising, clinical translation requires addressing biosafety, scalable production, and regulatory hurdles. SPIONs represent a robust alternative to conventional therapeutics, particularly in settings requiring precision and combinatory approaches.