| Summary: | Yes === Studies of nanosized forms of bismuth (Bi)-containing materials have recently expanded from optical,
chemical, electronic, and engineering fields towards biomedicine, as a result of their safety, cost-effective
fabrication processes, large surface area, high stability, and high versatility in terms of shape, size, and
porosity. Bi, as a nontoxic and inexpensive diamagnetic heavy metal, has been used for the fabrication of
various nanoparticles (NPs) with unique structural, physicochemical, and compositional features to
combine various properties, such as a favourably high X-ray attenuation coefficient and near-infrared (NIR)
absorbance, excellent light-to-heat conversion efficiency, and a long circulation half-life. These features
have rendered bismuth-containing nanoparticles (BiNPs) with desirable performance for combined cancer
therapy, photothermal and radiation therapy (RT), multimodal imaging, theranostics, drug delivery,
biosensing, and tissue engineering. Bismuth oxyhalides (BiOx, where X is Cl, Br or I) and bismuth
chalcogenides, including bismuth oxide, bismuth sulfide, bismuth selenide, and bismuth telluride, have
been heavily investigated for therapeutic purposes. The pharmacokinetics of these BiNPs can be easily
improved via the facile modification of their surfaces with biocompatible polymers and proteins, resulting
in enhanced colloidal stability, extended blood circulation, and reduced toxicity. Desirable antibacterial
effects, bone regeneration potential, and tumor growth suppression under NIR laser radiation are the main
biomedical research areas involving BiNPs that have opened up a new paradigm for their future clinical
translation. This review emphasizes the synthesis and state-of-the-art progress related to the biomedical
applications of BiNPs with different structures, sizes, and compositions. Furthermore, a comprehensive
discussion focusing on challenges and future opportunities is presented. === M.-A. Shahbazi acknowledges financial support from the Academy of Finland (grant no. 317316). P. Figueiredo acknowledges the Finnish Cultural Foundation for its financial support (decision no. 00190246). H. A. Santos acknowledges financial support from the HiLIFE Research Funds, the Sigrid Juse´lius Foundation, and the Academy of Finland (grant no. 317042). === Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Jan 2020.
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