Figure 1. A: General design of a nanoparticle loaded with drug. The core/shell/surface coating can be composed of a variety of different materials, which has resulted in an enormous diversity in the design, and hence properties, of different nanoparticles. B: When a drug loaded nanoparticle is injected into the blood, it can leak into the tumour tissue due to the leaky tumour blood vessels. C: General design of a targeted nanoparticle loaded with drug. D: Nanoparticles can be specifically targeted to the cells making up the tumour vasculature. When these are injected into the blood, they accumulate in the tumor vasculature. The targeting and subsequent disrupting of tumour blood vessels is a promising therapeutic strategy. E: Nanoparticles can also be specifically targeted to cancer cells. When these targeted nanoparticles are injected into the blood, they accumulate in the tumor and bind to tumor cells, increasing the amount of drug delivered to individual cancer cells.
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