# 177Lu‐Gold Nanohybrids in Radiotherapeutic Approaches Against Cancer

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how combining radioactive lutetium-177 with gold nanoparticles can enhance cancer radiotherapy by amplifying radiation effects in tumors.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of 177Lu-gold nanohybrids for cancer therapy, highlighting design strategies and biological effects.

## Key findings

- 177Lu-gold nanohybrids amplify radiotoxicity in cancer cells through localized radiation enhancement.
- In vitro and in vivo studies show these nanohybrids can selectively target and damage tumor tissue.
- The paper identifies key factors influencing the effectiveness of 177Lu-gold systems in internal radiotherapy.

## Abstract

Internal radionuclide therapy using lutetium‐177 (177Lu)‐based radiopharmaceuticals has emerged as a promising approach in the field of nuclear medicine and oncology. Combining the radioactive lanthanide with high atomic number metal nanoparticles such as gold potentiates the radiotoxicity of lutetium by an amplification process. 177Lu‐gold nanohybrids have been investigated by various research groups, both in vitro and in vivo, to decipher the physicochemical, radiochemical, and biological factors that would enable selective and optimal dose deposition in tumors. This review focuses on 177Lu‐gold tailored approaches that are developed in the literature to locally enhance internal radiotherapeutic effects.

This article reviews the literature on nanoscale systems incorporating radioactive lutetium‐177 and gold nanoparticles as amplifying units, applied to internal radionuclide therapy against cancer. A presentation of the lutetium radionuclide, the radioenhancing effect of gold nanoparticles, tumor delivery strategies, and the state of the literature on the design and use of 177Lu‐gold nanohybrids in cancer therapy are detailed.© 2024 WILEY‐VCH GmbH