Biomedical nanotechnology for molecular imaging, profiling, and drug targeting

Nanometer-sized particles have novel optical, electronic, and structural properties that are not available from either individual molecules or bulk solids. When linked with tumor targeting ligands such as monoclonal antibodies, these nanoparticles can be used to target tumor antigens (biomarkers) as well as tumor vasculatures with high affinity and specificity. In the "mesoscopic" size range of 10-100 nm (diameter), nanoparticles also have more surface areas and functional groups that can be linked to multiple diagnostic (e.g., optical, radioisotopic, or magnetic) and therapeutic (e.g., anticancer) agents. In this article, we briefly discuss the use of bioconjugated nanoparticles for delivery and targeting of anticancer drugs.