Abstract Background Nowadays, nanoparticles (NPs) have evolved as multifunctional systems combining different custom anchorages which opens a wide range of applications in biomedical research. Thus, their pharmacological involvements require more comprehensive analysis and novel nanodrugs should be characterized by both chemically and biological point of view. Within the wide variety of biocompatible nanosystems, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) present mostly of the required features which make them suitable for multifunctional NPs with many biopharmaceutical applications. Results Cisplatin-IONPs and different functionalization stages have been broadly evaluated. The potential application of these nanodrugs in onco-therapies has been assessed by studying in vitro biocompatibility (interactions with environment) by proteomics characterization the determination of protein corona in different proximal fluids (human plasma, rabbit plasma and fetal bovine serum),. Moreover, protein labeling and LC–MS/MS analysis provided more than 4000 proteins de novo synthetized as consequence of the nanodrugs presence defending cell signaling in different tumor cell types (data available via ProteomeXchanges with identified PXD026615). Further in vivo studies have provided a more integrative view of the biopharmaceutical perspectives of IONPs. Conclusions Pharmacological proteomic profile different behavior between species and different affinity of protein coating layers (soft and hard corona). Also, intracellular signaling exposed differences between tumor cell lines studied. First approaches in animal model reveal the potential of theses NPs as drug delivery vehicles and confirm cisplatin compounds as strengthened antitumoral agents.