Nanomedicine toward 2040.

Abstract

Nanomedicine as a research field has existed for about two decades, and it is therefore timely to discuss what the next 20 years in nanomedicine should accomplish to provide a scientifically grounded framework for sustained success. To further advance nanomedicine, emphasis should be on integration of hypothesis-driven research principles of medicine with the industrially relevant design principles of nanomaterials. The recently emerging but significantly successful field of immuno-oncology serves as an example of how fundamental research leads to translational success: mechanisms of action are first determined, followed by target molecule identification, and finally in vivo testing with app..