Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is an approved therapy for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, but the extension of arsenic-based therapies to other types of malignancies, notably tumor-forming cancers, has been slow. Nanodelivery vehicles offer a means of effectively delivering ATO to tumors. Very recently, there has been a series of developments in the formulation of arsenic-based nanomedicines that are not simply loaded with ATO. Realgar nanoparticles are comprised of molecular As₄S₄ units. Current studies suggest that realgar nanoparticles ultimately act in a manner similar to ATO, but with greatly attenuated toxic side effects. A drastically different approach is taken with arsenene nanosheets, a 2-dimensional form of elemental As. The electronic properties of this material allow it to mediate both photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy. The exploration of these nanomaterials is still in its infancy but is poised to allow arsenic-based therapy to make yet another significant impact on cancer treatment.

三氧化二砷 (ATO) 是一种经批准的治疗急性早幼粒细胞白血病的疗法，但将基于砷的疗法扩展到其他类型的恶性肿瘤，尤其是形成肿瘤的癌症，进展缓慢。纳米递送载体提供了一种有效地将 ATO 递送至肿瘤的方法。最近，砷基纳米药物的配方取得了一系列进展，这些药物不仅仅含有 ATO。雄黄纳米颗粒由分子 As ₄ S _4组成单位。目前的研究表明，雄黄纳米颗粒最终以类似于 ATO 的方式发挥作用，但毒副作用大大减弱。砷烯纳米片采用了一种截然不同的方法，砷烯纳米片是元素砷的一种二维形式。这种材料的电子特性使其能够介导光热疗法和光动力疗法。这些纳米材料的探索仍处于起步阶段，但有望让基于砷的疗法对癌症治疗产生另一个重大影响。