Nanomedicine for Targeted Vascular Drug Delivery

Nanomedicine for targeted vascular drug delivery harnesses nanoscale vehicles—such as polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers and nanogels—to ferry therapeutic agents directly to diseased blood vessels and their surrounding tissues. By tuning size, surface chemistry and functionality, these carriers can circulate stealthily, evade immune clearance and extravasate at sites of vascular dysfunction. Passive accumulation exploits enhanced permeability in inflamed or tumorous vasculature, while active targeting relies on surface ligands that bind endothelial markers overexpressed during disease, such as cell adhesion molecules or selectins. Stimuli-responsive constructs permit controlled release in response to pH shifts, enzymatic activity or oxidative stress. Applications span atherosclerosis, ischaemic heart disease, acute lung injury and sepsis, offering improved pharmacokinetics, reduced systemic toxicity and enhanced local efficacy. Key practical challenges include scale-up of reproducible formulations, long-term biocompatibility and regulatory alignment. Recent advances in multifunctional nanocarriers and precision targeting strategies continue to expand the clinical potential of vascular nanomedicine.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Nanomedicine for Targeted Vascular Drug Delivery publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanomedicine for targeted vascular drug delivery across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanocarrier: A nanoscale delivery vehicle engineered to transport therapeutic molecules to specific sites within the body.

Endothelial targeting: The design strategy of attaching ligands to nanocarriers that bind selectively to markers on vascular endothelial cells.

ICAM-1: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1, a cell-surface glycoprotein upregulated on inflamed endothelium and exploited as a targeting receptor.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive molecules derived from oxygen that contribute to oxidative stress and vascular damage.

PEGylation: The covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol chains to nanocarriers to enhance solubility, reduce immunogenicity and prolong circulation.

References

1. Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging Nanomedicine for the Treatment of Ischemic Heart Disease. Advanced Materials (2022).
2. Anti-ICAM-1 antibody-modified nanostructured lipid carriers: a pulmonary vascular endothelium-targeted device for acute lung injury therapy. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2018).
3. E-selectin targeted immunoliposomes for rapamycin delivery to activated endothelial cells. International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2017).