Advanced Performance Evaluation Tools for Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery

Dr. Ceren Kimna

Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH)

A major challenge in the development of nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery is the  lack of high-resolution tools to track their whole-body biodistribution with sufficient  sensitivity. Conventional methods primarily detect nanoparticles that accumulate at  high concentrations in major organs, overlooking promising formulations and limiting the  rational design of advanced delivery systems. Critically, low-resolution techniques also  fail to detect minor target populations—one of the leading causes of failure in clinical  translation. In this talk, I will introduce SCP-nano, a high-sensitivity pipeline capable of detecting  nanocarriers—including lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, and polyplexes—down to  0.0005 mg mRNA/kg in mice. This approach enables an unbiased, quantitative  assessment of nanoparticle distribution and protein expression in wild-type animals,  providing precise insights into tissue- and cell-specific targeting. I will discuss how  integrating whole-body biodistribution data with nanoparticle design can enhance  precision drug delivery, reduce the need for exhaustive animal use, and accelerate  clinical translation timelines.