Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecules- (un)Attainable Targets for Nanomedicines

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanomedicine
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Endothelial cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are key targets in various pathologies.
• Small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CAMs have faced clinical-stage failures despite preclinical success.
• Nanomedicine (NM) approaches for CAM targeting have shown diverse preclinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advanced examples of CAM-targeted NMs.
• To compare NM strategies with traditional CAM-targeting drugs.
• To identify translational hurdles and propose strategies for enhanced endothelial CAM targeting by NMs.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of preclinical and clinical studies on CAM-targeted therapies.
• Comparative analysis of nanomedicine and traditional drug approaches.
• Synthesis of strategies for improving nanomedicine-based endothelial targeting.

Main Results:

• Numerous preclinical studies demonstrate nanomedicine potential for drug delivery, imaging, and blocking immune cell infiltration via CAMs.
• Despite preclinical promise, no nanomedicine drug candidate targeting CAMs has advanced into clinical development.
• Significant translational hurdles impede the clinical progression of CAM-targeted nanomedicine.

Conclusions:

• Nanomedicine offers a versatile platform for targeting endothelial CAMs, but clinical translation remains a significant challenge.
• Identifying and overcoming specific translational hurdles is crucial for the successful development of CAM-targeted nanomedicine.
• Developing enhanced endothelial CAM targeting strategies is essential for future nanomedicine applications in disease.