Exploring the cytotoxicity of CeO2 nanoparticles: A compendious approach

Metal oxide nanoparticles due to their antioxidant properties have attractedsignificant attention and exhibited good potential for use in cancer theranostics.Owing to the poor absorption in the physiological environment, they are anideal candidate to act as nanocarriers in targeted drug delivery and bioimaging.This feature can be successfully implemented in live monitoring and imagingapplications, which offer the possibilities and scope for optical, magneticresonance, and nuclear imaging. The environment of malignant cells likethe rapid proliferation of cells, specific antigen expressions, and leaky tumorvasculature can be used by the modifications in their morphology and surfacefunctionalization. Ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles have been fascinating in this regard.Different properties such as size, agglomeration behavior, and surface chargedensity facilitate the interaction of nanoparticles with cancer cells. Compared toother nanoparticles, CeO2 nanoparticles have a potential for pharmaceutical usesince they can act as a therapeutic agent in different disorders such as cancer,inflammation, and neurodegeneration, due to the ability to exhibit variableoxidation state at the nanoparticle surface. Recent literature reports the ecofriendlyor ‘green’ synthesis of CeO2 nanoparticles in which the biological agentacts as stabilizers for a cost-effective and feasible mode of preparation. In thisreview, we focus on recent literature on CeO2 nanoparticles with an emphasis onthe methods of fabrication and biomedical applications.