Theranostic nanoparticles for the management of thrombosis

Acute thrombosis and thromboembolisms are one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in both developed and developing countries, placing a huge burden on health and economic systems. Early diagnosis is critical but currently limited in accuracy and hampered by a narrow time frame, where the short therapeutic window also severely restricts treatment options. Additionally, clinically used antithrombotics and thrombolytics suffer from severe side effects and are limited in efficacy by a short half-life and susceptibility to degradation. The use of systems containing both diagnostic and therapeutic moieties, known as theranostics, can potentially improve patient outcomes by increasing the precision and efficacy of diagnosis and treatment, enabling personalised and precision medicine. Leveraging nanomedicine may further improve treatment by improving the system's pharmacokinetic properties including controlled drug delivery. This review provides an overview of the development of such theranostic nanoparticle systems, with a focus on approaches that may be utilised to usher this field towards clinical use.