Metal-based nanoparticles for cardiovascular disease diagnosis and therapy

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most prominent cause of disability and mortality in the world. Although there have been a variety of therapeutic options for the management of CVDs, most of the traditional therapeutic strategies could not sufficiently stop or reduce the progression of these diseases and may result in some side effects. With the advance in nanotechnology, a number of metal-based nanoparticles have been developed and shown promising potentials in the treatment of CVDs. In this review, we provide a comprehensive review of researches on recent development of metal-based nanoparticles in diagnosis and therapy in CVDs as biomedical materials. We also discuss the challenges in the clinical translation and potential risks in their application of CVD therapy. Based on the ongoing research and applications, we can conclude metal-based nanoparticles are expected to become potential therapeutics for the treatment of CVDs. But their application is still in its infancy and much more efforts should be made to enforce a clinical breakthrough.