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Nanomedicine
- Medicine of the future
• Medical application of nanotechnology
– Nanotechnology: the study of the control of
matter at the atomic/molecular level
• All substances (including you and me) are
made up of atoms
• If we learn to control those atoms we will
control the substances.
• Nanotech deals with substances that are 100
nm or smaller
– DNA diameter: 2 nm
– Smallest bacteria: 200 nm
The comparable size of 1 nm to 1 m is…
• Nanomedicine has the potential to deliver
– Advanced drug delivery systems
– New therapies
– In vivo imaging
– neuro-electronic interfaces (biosensors)$
– Perhaps even….cell repair machines
• ~4 billion dollars are currently being invested
in research and development of nanomedicine
– Sales of 7 bill. In 2004
– 200 companies
– 130 drug delivery systems are under
development…
Medical Uses
1. Drug delivery
• Nanoscale particles could improve the
availability of the drug to cells that most need
it
• Targeting is a huge issue: $65 billion are lost
each year due to poor targeting
• Nanoparticles are easily taken up by cells
because of their size
• Could allow for lower doses that are much
more effective because of targeting
– Less toxic (less side effects)
– Less costly
2. In vivo imaging
• Nanodyes provide better contrast for
MRI/ultrasound
• Ex. quantum dots (give off light when excited
by waves) localize to cancer tumors (tumor
cells do not have good lymphatic drainage)
and allow for much better imaging
– Toxic!
– Could THEY be used to treat tumors????
3. Surgery applications
• Since quantum dots localize to cancer cells
would allow much better removal of
dangerous tissues.
• Photodynamic therapy: metal nanotubes
localized to cancer cells could “melt them”
when heated using a light source.
– Noninvasive
– Not toxic to other tissues, like chemotherapy
• Flesh welders: fix cuts by “welding”them
together, ex. arteries
4. nanorobots
• Nanosize machines that could be activated by
light to do things inside our bodies…
ex. fullerine