Nanoparticles have comprehensively affected various sights of human life. Through the wide range of claims about nanosized particles and their functions, biomedical applications are of much interest among health care researchers due to the nanoparticles' potential for use in the process of disease diagnosis, control and treatment. In this regard, inorganic nanoparticles, which have high potential in diagnostic and therapeutic systems, have recently received much attention in oncology. Although inorganic nanoparticles initially seemed an appropriate tool for cancer imaging and diagnosis, their ability to attack cancerous cells as anticancer drugs or carriers in other drugs has also demonstrated promising results. The present review primarily provides a brief survey of various studies in which metal nanoparticles such as gold, silver, iron oxide, and metalloid nanoparticles viz. tellurium and bismuth were exploited for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes in oncology. Then the application of selenium nanoparticles as a therapeutic agent against cancer in in vitro and in vivo studies is reviewed in detail. Although inorganic nanoparticles seem to be useful tools for cancer imaging and diagnosis, their potential for attacking cancerous cells as anticancer substances or even carriers for anticancer medications should not be underestimated.

As a chronic inflammatory disease, atherosclerosis is responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide each year, and it imposes massive economic costs on individuals and on society. Because of its high importance, the discovery of sensitive and accurate strategies for imaging, targeted drug delivery, and therapeutic monitoring of this condition is essential. In recent years, continuous research has achieved remarkable successes in the use of nanotechnology in the molecular imaging and treatment of atherosclerosis. Among various nanoparticles — such as metallic, polymeric, and lipid — metallic nanoparticles are being considered due to their unique properties for use in treatment and imaging. It should be taken into consideration that some of the metal nanoparticles themselves can cause adverse biological effects, and these effects should be considered important risk factors in the pathological pathways leading up to atherosclerosis. This review provides a description of the applications and potential toxicity of metal nanoparticles in atherosclerosis.