IMPACT AND APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE

INTRODUCTION TO NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology has gained ground in the twenty-first century and is rapidly growing due to the ability to manipulate and harness properties of assemblies that are at the nanosize scale of biomolecules. Bionanotechnology is defined by science’s growing ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, combining biological materials and the rules of physics, chemistry and genetics to create tiny synthetic structures [1].

The end result of nanotechnology is to create a highly functional system of biosensors, electric circuits, nanosized microchips, molecular “switches” and even tissue analogs for growing skin, bones, muscles, and other organs of the body. All accomplished in ways that allow these structures to assemble themselves, molecule by molecule. Nanostructures, such as functional nanoparticles, dendrimers, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanocrystals including quantum dots have been exploited for drug delivery, diagnostics and treatment of diseases at the molecular level. Diseases can be identified based on anomalies at the molecular level, and treatments are designed based on activities in such low dimensions.   

Although a multitude of methods for disease identification as well as treatment already exists, it would be ideal to use research tools with dimensions close to the molecular level to better understand the mechanisms involved in the processes. These tools can be nanoparticles, designed to examine a biochemical process of interest. Typical dimensions of biomolecular components are in the range of 5 to 200 nm, which is comparable with the dimensions of man-made nanoparticles [1].

            By developing nanosized bioparticles that has no or very little effect on human health, diagnostic imaging could also be improved. The possibility of cell-targeted treatment and cancer therapy is expected to emerge from many research groups.