fig5

Figure 5. Active versus passive targeting of cancerous tissue. Nanoparticles passively diffuse through the highly permeable endothelial layer of blood vessels in cancer tissue. In addition, decreased lymphatic drainage from solid cancer tissue prevents the nanodrug from returning to the systemic circulation. Active nanodrugs target the tumor tissue with engineered tissue-specific ligands on the surface of the nanodrug^[2] (used with permission)