Fig. 3
From: Cancer nanomedicine: a review of recent success in drug delivery
(Reproduced with permission from [11])
Organ systems that affect nanoparticle delivery. The method of entry affects circulation time, organ processing, and overall efficacy. Intravenously injected nanoparticles can extravasate from the bloodstream and enter organs such as the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and central nervous system. Nanomedicines that are administered orally can enter the gut and pass through the liver via the hepatic portal system. Inhaled nanomedicines may contact macrophages in pulmonary alveoli. Following circulation in organs, nanoparticles may encounter renal clearance in the kidneys