Nanotheranostics: combining non-invasive imaging with tumor-targeted drug delivery to individualize (chemo-) therapeutic interventions

Nanomedicine formulations aim to improve the biodistribution and the target site accumulation of systemically administered (chemo-) therapeutic agents. Various different passively and actively targeted nanomedicines have been evaluated over the years, based e.g. on liposomes, polymers, micelles and antibodies, and a significant amount of (pre-) clinical evidence has been obtained showing that these 5–200 nm-sized carrier materials are able to improve the therapeutic index of low-molecular-weight drugs. Besides for therapeutic purposes, however, nanomedicine formulations have also been more and more used for imag…