Nanotechnology Medicine starts with its basis nanotechnology. Nanotechnology encompasses the manipulation and custom engineering of natural and composite materials at the nanometer scale that can range between 1 and 100nm. With the continued research and the growing understanding of general and specific particles, their characteristics, and morphologies. Scientists have more know-how, tools, and insights at their disposal to manipulate and improve particles to perform tasks for the betterment of industrial processes and benefit the quality of products and society through nanotechnology integration. These combined efforts all work together towards more sustainability for technological advancement, the environment benefits, the economy, and society. Nanoparticles, which possess at least one to three dimensions on the nanometer scale (i.e. in the range of billionths of a meter), are utilized in many industry sectors, including Nanotechnology in Medicine. These particles, owing to their minuscule dimensions, exhibit distinct physical and chemical characteristics, thus making them advantageous in a plethora of medical applications. Such as in the pharmaceutical, pharmacology, and healthcare industry sectors, nanotechnology and related materials are being researched for use in areas such as drug delivery, drug development, imaging, and tissue engineering.
Pharmacology and medicine
In pharmacology, several potential uses are currently being studied for long-term implementation. Nanoparticles can be made from various materials such as lipids, polymers, and metals, and can be engineered to have specific properties such as size, shape, and surface chemistry. Nanoparticles can be used in medicine as a more efficient targeted drug delivery system. This is accomplished by encapsulating drugs within nanoparticles, ranging from a few nanometers to several micrometers. Due to the particle morphologies, they can then bind to specific targeted cells or tissues, leading to increased therapeutic effectiveness and possible reduction of side effects.
This method of drug delivery offers several benefits over traditional drug delivery methods, such as reducing toxicity by reducing the amount of drug that reaches non-targeted cells and tissues as opposed to the drug having undesired systemic interactions. Encapsulation can also reduce the dosage of the drug needed to achieve therapeutic effects or to protect these same drugs from degradation, being broken down prematurely, improving their bioavailability, and extending their shelf life to name but a few.
Additionally, nanoparticles can be engineered to release drugs over a longer period of time, also known as controlled release or sustained release. This is a method of delivering drugs over an extended period of time, thus prolonging the
duration of its therapeutic effect and controlling dosage. This can improve the efficacy of the treatment, reduce the frequency of dosing, and, potentially, reduce undesirable side effects. Researchers are also exploring the potential of nanoparticles in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. By utilizing nanoparticles to transport growth factors or other molecules, they aim to enhance the regeneration and repair of various tissues like bone, cartilage, and blood vessels. Some examples of drugs that are currently being delivered using nanoparticle technology include anticancer drugs, gene therapies, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-infective agents, and vaccines
Imaging and diagnostics
Nanomaterials have gained considerable interest in the development of new and efficient molecular probes for medical diagnosis equipment, such as in the imaging and diagnostics fields. The development of new devices that can be used and can incorporate nanoparticles in their operations, improves the diagnostics speed, accuracy, scope, and the quality of the diagnostic data including the generated images. For example, to improve the visibility of varying densities of certain structures within the
body, Gold nanoparticles can be used since they have a high atomic number and work well in contrast fluids as additive agents in imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray imaging. As a result, nanoparticles can also be engineered to specifically target certain cells or tissues, making them useful for imaging and detecting cancer cells or other tissues due to their strong absorption and light scattering properties at specific wavelengths of light. This allows for higher contrast imaging of the targeted tissues. Gold
nanoparticles can also be used for photothermal therapy, which involves using light to heat the nanoparticles and destroy selected malignant tissues. The nanoparticles can also be functionalized with specific biomolecules, such as antibodies, that target specific cells.
Finally, quantum dots, are a type of semiconductor nanoparticles that are commonly employed in bio-imaging procedures due to their unique optical characteristics. These nanoparticles can emit different wavelengths of light, depending on their size and composition. This
feature makes them valuable tools for imaging cells, blood vessels, tumors, and tissues in vivo. Additionally, researchers are currently investigating their potential for use in cancer diagnosis.
Another area of research related to traditional X-ray imaging is X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging using nanoparticles as X-ray sources, which is based on the absorption of X-ray photons by the nanoparticles and the subsequent re-emission of X-ray fluorescence photons. This method is useful for imaging inorganic materials,
such as heavy metals and rare earth elements, which cannot be imaged by traditional X-ray imaging techniques. In addition to gold nanoparticles, other materials such as iron oxide, silver, and carbon-based nanoparticles have also been investigated as contrast agents for X-ray imaging. The characteristics and sensitivity of these nanoparticles can be manipulated and improved by binding them with biomolecules, such as antibodies or peptides, which can target specific cells or tissues within the body.
In summary
These are only a few examples of the many ways nanoparticles can be utilized in modern medicine. As is evident, nanoparticles have various wide and far-reaching potential. The applications in pharmacology, medical imaging, and diagnostics
can improve overall healthcare in general. This will benefit patients and help diagnose illnesses before they have a chance to become life-threatening and to be able to treat illnesses more effectively. Nanotechnology can go further and affect other industries, such as the insurance sector, and lower
healthcare costs. However, nothing is final, and more research is needed to expand the use of nanotechnology and to fully understand the potential risks and benefits of using nanoparticles in medicine and healthcare.
