Nanomedicines Lost in Translation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Nanomedicines often fail to achieve clinical relevance and successful translation.
• Key features of nanomedicines are frequently overlooked by biomedical engineers.
• Traditional multifunctionality at the nanoscale differs from clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss reasons for the difficulty in nanomedicine clinical translation.
• To highlight overlooked features of nanomedicines for biomedical engineers.
• To introduce and emphasize the concept of clinical multifunctionality.

Main Methods:

• Perspective-based discussion of nanomedicine translation challenges.
• Analysis of emergent clinical multifunctionality in translated nanomedicines.
• Description of the "diagonal translation" phenomenon.

Main Results:

• Clinical multifunctionality, distinct from nanoscale multifunctionality, is crucial for nanomedicine success.
• Examples demonstrate emergent clinical multifunctionality upon translation.
• Diagonal translation occurs when nanomedicines solve unintended clinical problems.

Conclusions:

• Biomedical engineers can leverage clinical multifunctionality and diagonal translation to enhance nanomedicine development.
• Recognizing these phenomena can bridge the gap between nanomedicine design and clinical utility.
• A shift in perspective towards clinical application is vital for nanomedicine translation.