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The use of photothermal agents (PTAs) in cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) has shown promising results in clinical studies. The rapid degradation of PTAs may address safety concerns but usually limits the photothermal stability required for efficacious treatment. Conversely, PTAs with high photothermal stability usually degrade slowly. The solutions that address the balance between the high photothermal stability and rapid degradation of PTAs are rare. Here, we report that the inherent Cu2+-capturing ability of black phosphorus (BP) can accelerate the degradation of BP, while also enhancing photothermal stability. The incorporation of Cu2+ into BP@Cu nanostructures further enables chemodynamic therapy (CDT)-enhanced PTT. Moreover, by employing 64Cu2+, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging can be achieved for in vivo real-time and quantitative tracking. Therefore, our study not only introduces an "ideal" PTA that bypasses the limitations of PTAs, but also provides the proof-of-concept application of BP-based materials in PET-guided, CDT-enhanced combination cancer therapy. A balance between high stability and rapid degradation is required for effective photothermal anti-cancer agents. Here, the authors use Cu2+ to accelerate the degradation of black phosphorus nanosheets while enhancing its photothermal ability and apply this material for PET-guided, CDT-enhanced combination cancer therapy in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro incubation of nanomaterials with plasma offer insights on biological interactions, but cannot fully explain the in vivo fate of nanomaterials. Here, we use a library of polymer nanoparticles to show how physicochemical characteristics influence blood circulation and early distribution. For particles with different diameters, surface hydrophilicity appears to mediate early clearance. Densities above a critical value of approximately 20 poly(ethylene glycol) chains (MW 5 kDa) per 100 nm2 prolong circulation times, irrespective of size. In knockout mice, clearance mechanisms are identified for nanoparticles with low and high steric protection. Studies in animals deficient in the C3 protein showed that complement activation could not explain differences in the clearance of nanoparticles. In nanoparticles with low poly(ethylene glycol) coverage, adsorption of apolipoproteins can prolong circulation times. In parallel, the low-density-lipoprotein receptor plays a predominant role in the clearance of nanoparticles, irrespective of poly(ethylene glycol) density. These results further our understanding of nanopharmacology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using nanoparticles for therapy and imaging holds tremendous promise for the treatment of major diseases such as cancer. However, their translation into the clinic has been slow because it remains difficult to produce nanoparticles that are consistent 'batch-to-batch', and in sufficient quantities for clinical research. Moreover, platforms for rapid screening of nanoparticles are still lacking. Recent microfluidic technologies can tackle some of these issues, and offer a way to accelerate the clinical translation of nanoparticles. In this Progress Article, we highlight the advances in microfluidic systems that can synthesize libraries of nanoparticles in a well-controlled, reproducible and high-throughput manner. We also discuss the use of microfluidics for rapidly evaluating nanoparticles in vitro under microenvironments that mimic the in vivo conditions. Furthermore, we highlight some systems that can manipulate small organisms, which could be used for evaluating the in vivo toxicity of nanoparticles or for drug screening. We conclude with a critical assessment of the near- and long-term impact of microfluidics in the field of nanomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites the reasons why innovative pharmaceutical products based on therapeutic nanoparticles offer particular advantages in intellectual property (IP) protection from generic competition. It discusses scientific, patent and regulatory challenges facing the development of generic therapeutic nanoparticles. Information is also provided on therapeutic nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis and therapy. Advances in protein engineering and materials science have contributed to novel nanoscale targeting approaches that may bring new hope to cancer patients. Several therapeutic nanocarriers have been approved for clinical use. However, to date, there are only a few clinically approved nanocarriers that incorporate molecules to selectively bind and target cancer cells. This review examines some of the approved formulations and discusses the challenges in translating basic research to the clinic. We detail the arsenal of nanocarriers and molecules available for selective tumour targeting, and emphasize the challenges in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted drug delivery technologies can provide physicians with new approaches to treat and manage patients with cancer. Nucleic acid ligands (aptamers) are a novel class of targeting molecules that can be used in a similar manner to antibodies. Beyond use as drugs themselves, aptamers have the potential to serve as targeting ligands to deliver drugs, imaging agents, or other bioactive agents to the intended site of action. Bioconjugates of nanoparticles and aptamers can selectively bind and be taken up by cancer cells. In this article we review progress to date for antineoplastic drug delivery using nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates.Aptamers are isolated through a process of in vitro selection, also referred to as systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). There is an increasing numbers of aptamers for cancer targeting being reported in the literature. These aptamers often interact with antigens that are overexpressed exclusively, or preferentially, on cancer cells or in the cancer microenvironment. As novel drug delivery vehicles, nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates may be developed to target a myriad of diseases including many cancers by delivering a variety of therapeutic agents specifically to the site of interest.The first in vivo study of antineoplastic drug delivery by a bioconjugate employed nanoparticle encapsulating docetaxel and aptamers that bind certain prostate cancer cells. In this study using a xenograft murine model of prostate cancer, these bioconjugates were shown to significantly improve tumor reduction after intratumoral injection compared with all controls. Furthermore, the docetaxel-loaded nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates demonstrated reduced toxicity in terms of acute bodyweight loss compared with the controls. In vitro, the efficacy of the docetaxel-loaded nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugate was shown to be due to intracellular delivery of the drug to the cancer cells, and the bioconjugate without the drug had no cytotoxicity.Nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates may prove to be useful not only for management of cancer but also various other indications. New aptamers, multivalent targeting strategies, and multimodal treatments such as simultaneous radio- and chemotherapy may further increase the efficacy of these bioconjugates and facilitate their clinical translation for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of biomimetic nanoparticles for use in drug delivery. It references a paper by scientist C.-M. J. Hu and colleagues which appears elsewhere in the journal and which reports that nanoparticles coated with membranes from blood platelets are protected from the body's immune responses and are able to bind to certain cells and tissues. According to the author, the technique has implications for both nanoengineering and biomembrane research. Other research on platelets is also discussed.

Treatment and management of kidney disease currently presents an enormous global burden, and the application of nanotechnology principles to renal disease therapy, although still at an early stage, has profound transformative potential. The increasing translation of nanomedicines to the clinic, alongside research efforts in tissue regeneration and organ-on-a-chip investigations, are likely to provide novel solutions to treat kidney diseases. Our understanding of renal anatomy and of how the biological and physico-chemical properties of nanomedicines (the combination of a nanocarrier and a drug) influence their interactions with renal tissues has improved dramatically. Tailoring of nanomedicines in terms of kidney retention and binding to key membranes and cell populations associated with renal diseases is now possible and greatly enhances their localization, tolerability, and efficacy. This Review outlines nanomedicine characteristics central to improved targeting of renal cells and highlights the prospects, challenges, and opportunities of nanotechnology-mediated therapies for renal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing therapeutics is a process with many challenges. Even if the first hurdle - designing a drug that modulates the action of a particular biological target in vitro - is overcome, selective delivery to that target in vivo presents a major barrier. Side-effects can, in many cases, result from the need to use higher doses without targeted delivery. However, the established use of macromolecules to encapsulate or conjugate drugs can provide improved delivery, and stands to enable better therapeutic outcomes. In this Review, we discuss how drug delivery approaches have evolved alongside our ability to prepare increasingly complex macromolecular architectures. We examine how this increased complexity has overcome the challenges of drug delivery and discuss its potential for fulfilling unmet needs in nanomedicine.