Nanodiamond as a multimodal platform for drug delivery and radiosensitization of tumor cells

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are often considered as inert platforms with high interests for biomedical applications. They are well adapted for drug delivery, and may display embedded fluorescence. We report here on a new way to consider these nanocarbon particles, by revealing therapeutic capacities coming from electronic properties of NDs. With an optimized surface chemistry, the generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) occurs when those hydrogen-terminated NDs are exposed to photon irradiation, thus opening up the field towards the radiosensitization of tumor cells.