Nanomedicine toward 2040

Abstract

Nanomedicine as a research field has existed for about two decades, and it is therefore timely to discuss what the next 20 years in nanomedicine should accomplish to provide a scientifically grounded framework for sustained success. To further advance nanomedicine, emphasis should be on integration of hypothesis-driven research principles of medicine with the industrially relevant design principles of nanomaterials. The recently emerging but significantly successful field of immuno-oncology serves as an example of how fundamental research leads to translational success: mechanisms of action are first determined, followed by target molecule identification, and finally in vivo testing with appropriately designed and controlled studies.(1) From the materials science perspective, the rapid development of photovoltaics demonstrates how reproducibility is important to allow for field-wide objective comparisons to be made prior to industrial adoption.(2) The nanomedicine field could also benefit from delineating more clearly whether a study is addressing fundamental or translational questions.(3) Both should be encouraged, but focused, rigorous, and reproducible study designs are essential to facilitate scientific advances as well as comparative studies aimed at commercial outcomes.

Ähnliche Arbeiten