Erkki Ruoslahti

Erkki Ruoslahti discovered tumor-homing peptides that selectively localize to tumors after systemic administration — including iRGD, which penetrates into tumors by triggering a tissue-spreading pathway (CendR) through neuropilin receptor activation. His work on using these peptides to enhance nanoparticle and drug delivery into solid tumor tissue addresses the limitation that most cancer nanomedicines distribute mainly around tumor vessels rather than deep into tumor tissue.