title: Multifunctional peptide-based nanosystems for improving delivery and molecular imaging.
abstract: Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary scientific field impacting on various facets of preclinical and clinical research. One of the areas most affected is the development of medical treatments, that is, nanomedicine. In particular, drug delivery is expected to benefit from the unique ability of nanoparticles to selectively target different tissues and cellular compartments. In this review, advances using nanoparticles to improve the delivery of peptides by rendering them more stable, less susceptible to degradation, and able to cross physical barriers that typically restrict circulatory system access are discussed. In addition, the use of peptide-nanoparticle conjugates to target normal and diseased tissues to deliver therapeutic agents or to image them for diagnostic and screening purposes, or both, are highlighted. In the next few years these technologies are expected to allow control of drug delivery, targeting, and imaging that is currently unattainable.
authors.affiliation: InCytu Inc, 701 George Washington Highway, Lincoln, Rhode Island, RI 02865, USA. ed3fjm@aol.com
authors.forename: Dwaine F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Emerich
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Thanos
mesh_terms: D003933:Diagnosis; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides