Researchers Created New Standard for Nanoparticle Study
A new framework for nanomeritics aims to help scientists better measure pharmaceutical particles for medical use.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Nutrition
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Researchers have introduced a standardized framework for nanomeritics to improve how pharmaceutical particles ranging from 5 to 1000 nm are characterized. This development is intended to boost the consistency of nanoparticle-based medicinal products.
Why it matters
Inadequate characterization of nanomaterials currently limits the ability to translate new nanoparticle-enabled treatments into effective, regulatory-approved products. Standardizing these practices will provide stronger evidence for future medical applications.
A review published in Pharmaceutics analyzed 210 primary studies from 2016 to 2025. While DLS measures hydrodynamic diameter, the review found that 76.2% of studies used it as the sole technique, lacking the orthogonal assessment now recommended for accuracy.
The players
Pharmaceutics
A peer-reviewed scientific journal that focuses on drug delivery and pharmaceutical technology.
The details
Nanomeritics assesses particles by combining multiple physical measurements, such as electron microscopy for morphology and AF4 for size separation. This orthogonal approach integrates assessments of size, surface properties, and biological performance. By looking beyond a single metric, researchers can better understand how particles interact with biological targets, such as the 50-nm gold nanoparticles that showed optimal uptake in HeLa cells.
Timeline
2016 to 2025: The period covered by the review analysis.
2024: The year the concept of nanomeritics was introduced.
October 1, 2026: The date the review was published in the journal Pharmaceutics.
Health Landscape
This framework updates the historical reliance on traditional pharmaceutical micromeritics, which fail to accurately describe the physics of nanometer-scale materials. It represents a shift toward mandatory multi-method characterization to support the transition of complex products into clinical care.
These standards aim to increase the reliability of future medicinal products and therapies using nanotechnology. While this work currently occurs in research labs, you can discuss with your doctor how ongoing innovations in drug delivery may affect future treatment options for your condition.
The takeaway
Reliable measurements are the foundation of safe and effective medicine, especially as therapies move toward the nanoscale. Keep an eye on how standardized research methods help speed the development of new, high-precision treatments you may eventually discuss with your medical team.
Further reading
To learn more about how science impacts the development of medical products, visit our Nutrition section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AZoNano.
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