Nanoparticle Pharmacokinetics in Drug Delivery Systems

Nanoparticle pharmacokinetics encompasses the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of nanoscale carriers designed to deliver therapeutic agents. Unlike small molecules, nanoparticles exhibit complex in vivo behaviours governed by their size, shape, surface chemistry and aggregation state. These properties determine circulation half-life, tissue tropism and cellular uptake pathways, including phagocytosis by mononuclear phagocyte systems or receptor-mediated endocytosis. Surface functionalisation with polymers, ligands or stealth coatings can modulate immune recognition, enhance permeability and retention in target tissues and reduce off-target accumulation. Quantitative imaging, high-throughput microscopy and computational approaches such as physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling enable real-time tracking and prediction of nanoparticle fate across organ systems. Advances in co-administration of distribution modifiers and engineered decoy particles further allow fine-tuning of biodistribution profiles. An integrated strategy combining experimental pharmacokinetic studies, machine learning-driven segmentation and mechanistic modelling is now guiding the rational design of nanoparticles for improved therapeutic index, reduced toxicity and precise spatial delivery, with broad implications for oncology, infectious disease and personalised medicine.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that polymer chemistry and surface architecture can be systematically varied to tune in vivo circulation times and organ selectivity of nanoparticle libraries. A high-throughput microscopy platform paired with detailed biodistribution assessments and pharmacokinetic modelling revealed that adjusting polymer composition and co-administration of macrophage decoys can extend half-life and direct organ tropism, optimising nucleic acid delivery vehicles. In parallel, an innovative in vitro assay combined with artificial intelligence-based cell simulations has been developed to quantify mechanistic rate constants governing time-dependent nanoparticle–cell interactions. This approach enables translation of cellular uptake kinetics from in vitro fluorescence data to predictions of in vivo biodistribution, thereby reducing reliance on extensive animal studies and informing early-stage carrier design.

Nanoparticle Pharmacokinetics in Drug Delivery Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle pharmacokinetics in drug delivery systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Pharmacokinetics: Study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion over time.

Biodistribution: Spatial distribution of nanoparticles among organs and tissues following administration.

Surface functionalisation: Chemical modification of nanoparticle surfaces to alter interactions with biological environments.

Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect: Passive accumulation of nanoparticles in tumours due to leaky vasculature and poor lymphatic drainage.

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling: Computational simulation of nanoparticle fate using physiological and physicochemical parameters.

Tissue tropism: Propensity of nanoparticles to preferentially localise in specific tissues or cell types.

References

1. Enhancing in vivo cell and tissue targeting by modulation of polymer nanoparticles and macrophage decoys. Nature Communications (2024).
2. An in vitro assay and artificial intelligence approach to determine rate constants of nanomaterial-cell interactions. Scientific Reports (2019).
3. Deep learning for automatic organ and tumor segmentation in nanomedicine pharmacokinetics. Theranostics (2024).
4. Exploring the Long-Term Tissue Accumulation and Excretion of 3 nm Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles after Single Dose Administration. Antioxidants (2023).
5. A mathematical model to predict nanomedicine pharmacokinetics and tumor delivery. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (2020).