Multifunctional nanoparticles for prostate cancer therapy.

Multifunctional nanoparticles promise significantly better treatment for prostate cancer. This review begins with a molecular and physiological overview of prostate cancer, including current treatments in various stages of disease development. Emerging nanoparticle technology in chemotherapy, hyperthermia therapy and gene therapy will be discussed. We highlight novel advances in nanoparticle technology for prostate cancer and indicate future challenges in the rational design of multifunctional nanoparticles, such as understanding tumor characteristics and the activation of the complement system.