Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most expensive and common malignancies in the urinary system due to its high progression and recurrence rate. Although there are various methods, including cystoscopy, biopsy, and cytology, that have become the standard diagnosis methods for BCa, their intrinsic invasive and inaccurate properties need to be overcome. The novel urine cancer biomarkers are assisted by nanomaterials-based biosensors, such as field-effect transistors (FETs) with high sensitivity and specificity, which may provide solutions to these problems. In addition, nanomaterials can be applied for the advancement of next-generation optical imaging techniques and the contrast agents of conventional techniques; for example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of BCa. Regarding BCa therapy, nanocarriers, including mucoadhesive nanoparticles and other polymeric nanoparticles, successfully overcome the disadvantages of conventional intravesical instillation and improve the efficacy and safety of intravesical chemotherapy for BCa. Aside from chemotherapy, nanomedicine-based novel therapies, including photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), and combination therapy, have afforded us new ways to provide BC therapy and hope, which can be translated into the clinic. In addition, nanomotors and the nanomaterials-based solid tumor disassociation strategy provide new ideas for future research. Here, the advances in BCa diagnosis and therapy mentioned above are reviewed in this paper.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most commonly malignant tumor and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, and the early diagnosis and treatment of patients with HCC is core in improving its prognosis. The early diagnosis of HCC depends largely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI has good soft-tissue resolution, which is the international standard method for the diagnosis of HCC. However, MRI is still insufficient in the diagnosis of some early small HCCs and malignant nodules, resulting in false negative results. With the deepening of research on HCC, researchers have found many specific molecular biomarkers on the surface of HCC cells, which may assist in diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, molecular imaging has progressed rapidly in recent years, especially in the field of cancer theranostics. Hence, the preparation of molecular imaging probes that can specifically target the biomarkers of HCC, combined with MRI testing in vivo, may achieve the theranostic purpose of HCC in the early stage. Therefore, in this review, taking MR imaging as the basic point, we summarized the recent progress regarding the molecular imaging targeting various types of biomarkers on the surface of HCC cells to improve the theranostic rate of HCC. Lastly, we discussed the existing obstacles and future prospects of developing molecular imaging probes as HCC theranostic nanoplatforms.

Bladder cancer is a common malignant tumor of the urinary system. Cystoscopy, urine cytology, and CT are the routine diagnostic methods. However, there are some problems such as low sensitivity and difficulty in staging, which must be urgently supplemented by novel diagnostic methods. Surgery, intravesical instillation, systemic chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are the main clinical treatments for bladder cancer. It is difficult for conventional treatment to deal with tumor recurrence, progression and drug resistance. In addition, the treatment agents usually have the defects of poor specific distribution ability to target tumor tissues and side effects. The rapid development of nanomedicine has brought hope for the treatment of bladder cancer in reducing side effects, enhancing tumor inhibition effects, and anti-drug resistance. Overall, we review the new progression of nano-platforms in the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer.