Nanotechnology in Medicine

Nanotechnology is a specific branch of biotechnology concerned with the control and use of particles that are less than 100 nanometers (nm) in size. Such particles are known as nanoparticles. In scientific terms, one nanometer is 10-9 m. Most substances are reduced to single-molecule layers at this level. Theoretically, this is the stage where classical and quantum mechanics interact. Though nanotechnology is currently in its infancy, it has amply demonstrated its significance in industrial, as well as medical, uses.

The design, utilization, and development of nanoparticles involve a variety of advanced nanoengineering techniques. Many products that are currently in industrial use are a gift of nanoengineering and technology. A brief list of such products includes non-fogging mirrors, gene chips, fat-soluble vitamins, and biomimetic paint.

Nanotechnology has also demonstrated promising use in a variety of medical applications. Nanomedicine is now a top-priority research and development area of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. Between 2004 and 2006, the NIH established a network of eight development centers. This was part of the Institutes' "Nanomedicine Roadmap Initiative."



The NIH has committed around $ 145 million in funding over a period of five years for nanotechnology research in cancer control. This funding will support a variety of projects such as diagnostics, bio sensing, nanoparticle delivery devices, and related topics.

Since nanoparticles are technically smaller than biological cells, they can permeate cell membranes and interact with a variety of cellular components. Nanoparticles also exhibit novel electrical properties that make them brilliant semiconductors and imaging vehicles. This has paved the way for innovative research on the uses of nanoparticles in specific sub-areas of medicine such as nuclear medicine, imaging, and others.

For example, scientists have discovered that nanoparticles are capable of hunting down tumors in the body before they can be detected by conventional means. Nanoparticles can also remove damaged cellular components and deliver medicine to specific locations in the body inaccessible by the means of other medical techniques.

Additional research is underway on a variety of nanoparticle structures that include a variety of carbon-based structures such as fullerenes and lipid-based liposomes. Current research in nanotechnology has also led to a renewed interest in colloidal science. Colloids are typically liposome nanoparticles that are suspendable in a variety of solutions. Colloids can also be used to deliver nanoparticles that can act as vehicles for a number of essential proteins.

Nanoparticles are also being researched for exciting uses in imaging. Imaging techniques such as MRI and ultrasound use contrasting agents to enhance in-vivo tissue and organ viewing. Gold nanoparticles adhere to cancer cells and absorb radiation at certain wavelengths, which enhances the destruction of diseased cells. Moreover, it has also been discovered that silver nanoparticles are capable of adhering to single-stranded DNA cells, enabling their detection.

Researchers are also studying novel drug-delivery systems using nanoparticles to target specific organs. Specific targeting helps doctors study the flow of drugs in the body, enabling better tumor control and delivery of the drug.

The field of nanotechnology gets more and more exciting as researchers discover a variety of potential, as well as practical, applications. It surely will not be long before nanotechnology becomes an inseparable part of our daily lives.