Chapter 19
Excretion and Clearance
Hyung-Jun Im
Abstract The nanomaterials administered to the body systems are cleared,
degraded and finally excreted from the body. After the initial interaction of
administered nanomaterials with the body systems, clearance/excretion process of
the nanomaterials is started. Mononuclear phagocytic system clears nanomaterials
from the circulation by sequestering them and hepatobiliary and renal excretion
works thereafter. Considering the possible toxicity of nanomaterials, controlling the
clearance and excretion of injected nanomaterials are mandatory. All the factors
affecting clearance and excretion have veen investigated systematically and partially established. In this chapter, we describe the physiology of clearance and
excretion, and factors affecting them. Designing better nanomaterials should be
based on the thorough knowledge about this physiology of nanomaterials and
radionanomaterials.
19.1 Introduction
The nanomaterials can be administered to an organism for targeted imaging, targeted drug delivery, and tissue engineering. From the moment of the administration, nanomaterials interact with the body systems, and clearance/excretion process
begins. The term clearance generally indicates the elimination of the nanomaterials
from circulating blood while excretion refers to the removal of nanomaterials from
the organism. The nanomaterials can be cleared from the blood circulation through
the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) (also called the reticuloendothelial
system) and renal system (Fig. 19.1) [1]. Meanwhile, there are two major excretory
pathways which are hepatobiliary and renal routes. Since almost all nanomaterials
can exert toxicity in vivo, the knowledge of clearance/excretion characteristics of
nanomaterials is a prerequisite for clinical translation of the nanomaterials. Multiple
H.-J. Im (&)
Department of Transdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School of Convergence
Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
e-mail: iiihjjj@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
D. S. Lee (ed.), Radionanomedicine, Biological and Medical Physics,
Biomedical Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67720-0_19
347
Excretion and Clearance
Hyung-Jun Im
Abstract The nanomaterials administered to the body systems are cleared,
degraded and finally excreted from the body. After the initial interaction of
administered nanomaterials with the body systems, clearance/excretion process of
the nanomaterials is started. Mononuclear phagocytic system clears nanomaterials
from the circulation by sequestering them and hepatobiliary and renal excretion
works thereafter. Considering the possible toxicity of nanomaterials, controlling the
clearance and excretion of injected nanomaterials are mandatory. All the factors
affecting clearance and excretion have veen investigated systematically and partially established. In this chapter, we describe the physiology of clearance and
excretion, and factors affecting them. Designing better nanomaterials should be
based on the thorough knowledge about this physiology of nanomaterials and
radionanomaterials.
19.1 Introduction
The nanomaterials can be administered to an organism for targeted imaging, targeted drug delivery, and tissue engineering. From the moment of the administration, nanomaterials interact with the body systems, and clearance/excretion process
begins. The term clearance generally indicates the elimination of the nanomaterials
from circulating blood while excretion refers to the removal of nanomaterials from
the organism. The nanomaterials can be cleared from the blood circulation through
the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) (also called the reticuloendothelial
system) and renal system (Fig. 19.1) [1]. Meanwhile, there are two major excretory
pathways which are hepatobiliary and renal routes. Since almost all nanomaterials
can exert toxicity in vivo, the knowledge of clearance/excretion characteristics of
nanomaterials is a prerequisite for clinical translation of the nanomaterials. Multiple
H.-J. Im (&)
Department of Transdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School of Convergence
Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
e-mail: iiihjjj@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
D. S. Lee (ed.), Radionanomedicine, Biological and Medical Physics,
Biomedical Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67720-0_19
347