Nanotechnology can improve clinical practice in many areas, both in diagnostics and in novel therapeutics. However, to reach its full potential, the nanomedicine field must balance both basic research and translational progress. This talk will highlight recent advances along this continuum. On the basic science side, I will discuss the importance of high-resolution, multidimensional characterization techniques that provide important information not available with conventional methods, as well as the design and preliminary evaluation of novel stimuli responsive nanomaterials. Moving toward early translational applications, I will present work on nanoparticle-based vaccines for allergy immunotherapy, which leverage controlled antigen presentation and tailored immune modulation to improve safety and efficacy over conventional approaches. Finally, I will describe efforts closer to clinical translation, focusing on the production and validation of nanoparticle-enabled systems for in vitro diagnostics.
Together, these examples illustrate how both basic and translational science are key to developing the full potential of biomedical nanotechnology.