Now, groundbreaking research from a global team of scientists in academia and industry has established the first-ever quality standards for nanomedicine research. These standards aim to significantly cut costs and accelerate the development of advanced nanomedicines, making treatments more accessible to patients. ()

Published today in Nature Nanotechnology and led by Dr. Paul Joyce from the University of South Australia and Prof. Hélder Santos from the University of Groningen, the DELIVER guidelines provide early-stage recommendations for the design, experimentation, manufacturing, preclinical, clinical, regulatory, and business phases of nanomedicine development, increasing the likelihood of successful clinical application.

What are Nanomedicines

Nanomedicines, which are 1000 times smaller than a human hair, have long been regarded as the future of treating severe and life-threatening diseases. However, their transition from the lab to patients faces numerous obstacles.

UniSA researcher, Dr Paul Joyce, says that recent successes in chemotherapy and vaccine-based nanomedicines could redefine what’s possible in-patient care.

“We only need to think of the recent COVID-19 pandemic to realise the acute value of nanomedicines: more than two thirds of the global population received an mRNA vaccine to immunise against coronavirus, which was made possible by lipid nanoparticles,” Dr Joyce says.

“But while nanomedicines clearly represent a paradigm shift in healthcare, few have been translated to the clinic in relation to the amount of research that has been undertaken, and this has to change.

“Our research steps out the core principles that must be met to ensure nanomedicines can successfully overcome translational hurdles, helping researchers, clinicians, and regulatory bodies better manoeuvre through key steps and processes to avoid delays and enable faster clinical delivery.

“Adherence to this framework could see a boom in the successful development of new nanomedicines for a range of diseases, setting the stage for a new era of medical innovation.”

Prof Hélder Santos says that the new framework will transform the clinical delivery of nanomedicine.

“By addressing the key hurdles early on, the DELIVER approach can lead to the next generation of personalised therapies that are tailored to individual patients, offering new hope to those desperately in need.”

Reference:

1. A Translational Framework to DELIVER Nanomedicines to the Clinic. – (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-024-01754-7)

Source-Eurekalert