Understanding Nanomaterial Behavior in a Physiological Environment Promotes their Translational Exploration

The interest in the biomedical use of nanomaterials has been quite strong for several years, yet<br/>despite the excellent preclinical proof of concept data, the clinical translation of nanomedicines has<br/>remained somewhat low. One potential issue in this regard are the uncertainties related to the<br/>biodistribution and bio-effects that nanomaterials will have upon systemic administration. In the<br/>present contribution, we aim to provide an overview of some recent examples on how developments<br/>in imaging and analysis can help to overcome some of the hurdles currently associated with<br/>biomedical research involving nanomaterials.<br/>This presentation itself will focus primarily on the role that non-invasive (optical) imaging can play in better determining the true therapeutic efficacy or potential toxicity of nanomaterials. Recent data will be discussed on the detailed characterization of tumor heterogeneity and how nanomaterials delivery to solid tumors can be improved through manipulating tumor physiology. These gained insights also led to recent advances in nanomaterial effects at the tumor site, where we specifically look at the combined effects of nanomaterial chemistry and tumor parameters on the degree of metastases and how this can influence the choice of nanomaterials to be used. We also explore the use of engineered nanomaterials to promote anti-tumor immunity and lastly, demonstrate the ability to investigate the use of pDNA-loaded nanomaterials for therapeutic use. Together with examples of novel imaging modalities and the need for fully quantitative data, we<br/>hope that this presentation will help any interested scientists in uncovering the full potential that<br/>nanomedicines have to offer.