Malignant melanoma is an aggressive
skin cancer with limited
therapeutic options.
Cancer is the second largest
cause of death in society and one of the most difficult
diseases to treat. Advances in
biotechnology have enabled the current use of
nanotechnology via the application of
nanomaterials, especially as
drug delivery systems for the
transportation of very small particles. In this context,
carbon nanotubes, with a potential
role in the
diagnosis and
treatment of
melanoma, are still an emerging
research field. Their properties have been extensively studied for the use of
antineoplastics drugs, as well as for
DNA and
RNA interference for the
treatment of
cancer. However, the most important challenge in
nanomedicine is to decrease the
toxicity and increase the biocompatibility of the
nanomaterials used to transport
therapeutic molecules. In this sense, this article
addresses the recent advances in the use of
carbon nanotubes in
melanoma therapy and highlights the opportunities and challenges in this area. The advances and challenges involving these topics are essential to the success of
nanoconjugate systems, and studies improving the
comprehension of these nanosystems contribute to the development of specific antitumor
therapies.