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Smart cancer nanomedicine

Abstract

Nanomedicines are extensively employed in cancer therapy. We here propose four strategic directions to improve nanomedicine translation and exploitation. (1) Patient stratification has become common practice in oncology drug development. Accordingly, probes and protocols for patient stratification are urgently needed in cancer nanomedicine, to identify individuals suitable for inclusion in clinical trials. (2) Rational drug selection is crucial for clinical and commercial success. Opportunistic choices based on drug availability should be replaced by investments in modular (pro)drug and nanocarrier design. (3) Combination therapies are the mainstay of clinical cancer care. Nanomedicines synergize with pharmacological and physical co-treatments, and should be increasingly integrated in multimodal combination therapy regimens. (4) Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the treatment of cancer. Nanomedicines can modulate the behaviour of myeloid and lymphoid cells, thereby empowering anticancer immunity and immunotherapy efficacy. Alone and especially together, these four directions will fuel and foster the development of successful cancer nanomedicine therapies.

Category

Academic literature review

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Roy van der Meel
  • Einar Sulheim
  • Yang Shi
  • Fabian Kiessling
  • Willem J.M. Mulder
  • Twan Lammers

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Industry / Biotechnology and Nanomedicine
  • Eindhoven University of Technology
  • University of Twente, Enschede
  • Utrecht University
  • University Medical Center Utrecht
  • Aachen University Hospital
  • St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • The University of British Columbia
  • Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York

Year

2019

Published in

Nature Nanotechnology

ISSN

1748-3387

Volume

14

Issue

11

Page(s)

1007 - 1017

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository