Anticancer biomaterials: A special design for precision medicine

Despite prominent progress in cancer detection and therapy, critical challenges still remain and need to be addressed. In this sense, several innovative biomaterials have been designed and produced using different types of biocompatible materials like metals, and polymers, as well as glasses and glass-ceramics. Currently, more precise treatments can be achieved based on the tissue type, the stage of the cancer, and other patient-specific factors, resulting in improved cancer diagnosis and treatment. Indeed, the integration of interdisciplinary research areas, including tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, biomaterials science, nanotechnology, and pharmacology has led to a move forward toward cancer precision medicine. In this sense, precision biomaterials have emerged as promising approaches for more efficient modeling, detection, and treatment of cancers. In this chapter, we will discuss the recent advances and potential applications of precision biomaterials for personalized cancer treatment and try to summarize future directions according to the available data in the literature.