Scientists are building incredibly small medicines that could revolutionize how we treat devastating diseases, including certain forms of cancer that have been nearly impossible to cure until now.
A team of researchers from Northwestern University and Mass General Brigham have published a new perspective in the journal Nature Reviews Bioengineering, explaining how precisely designed nanomedicines—treatments built at a microscopic scale—could transform healthcare.
“Structural nanomedicine represents a massive shift in how we can approach therapeutic development,” explains Dr. Chad A. Mirkin from Northwestern University. “By focusing on the intricate details in our therapeutics and how different medicinal components are displayed within a larger structure, we can design interventions that are more effective, more targeted and, ultimately, more beneficial for patients.”
Unlike traditional medicines where scientists control the placement of every atom, current nanomedicines (including mRNA vaccines used during the COVID-19 pandemic) lack consistency. Dr. Mirkin describes the conventional approach to vaccine design as a “blender approach,” where key components are simply mixed together without precise structure.
The problem with this method? “No two drugs in a batch are the same,” says Dr. Mirkin. “Nanoscale vaccines have different numbers of lipids, different presentations of lipids, different amounts of RNA and different sizes of particles. There are an infinite number of variables in nanomedicine formulations.”
One promising example of structural nanomedicine is spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), which are globe-shaped forms of DNA that can easily enter cells. These have shown remarkable potential in treating cancer, with Dr. Mirkin noting, “We have proven that the overall structural presentation of an SNA-based vaccine or therapeutic — not simply the active chemical components — dramatically affects its potency. This finding could lead to treatments for many different types of cancer. In certain cases, we’ve used this to cure patients who could not be treated with any other known therapy.”
Another innovation is “chemoflares”—smart nanostructures that release cancer-fighting drugs only when they detect specific signals inside cancer cells. This targeted approach could reduce side effects while making treatments more effective.
Looking ahead, scientists plan to use artificial intelligence to help design these complex nanomedicines. “When looking at structure, there are sometimes tens of thousands of possibilities for how to arrange components on nanomedicines,” Dr. Mirkin explains. “With AI, we can narrow down giant sets of unexplored structures to a handful to synthesize and test in the lab.”
For young people interested in science and medicine, this research represents an exciting frontier where chemistry, biology, and computer science come together to create life-saving treatments that were once thought impossible.
As Dr. Natalie Artzi from Mass General Brigham describes it, these advanced nanomedicines can achieve “highly localized and timely drug release — transforming how and where therapies act within the body.”
With continued research and development, these precisely engineered nanomedicines could someday help treat not just cancer, but also infectious diseases, neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune disorders—giving hope to millions of patients worldwide.
If our reporting has informed or inspired you, please consider making a donation. Every contribution, no matter the size, empowers us to continue delivering accurate, engaging, and trustworthy science and medical news. Independent journalism requires time, effort, and resources—your support ensures we can keep uncovering the stories that matter most to you.
Join us in making knowledge accessible and impactful. Thank you for standing with us!
