StemCell Therapy

This summer, the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT marks the first anniversary of the launch of the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, established through a generous gift from Kathy and Curt Marble 63.

Bringing together leading Koch Institute faculty members and their teams, the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine focuses on grand challenges in cancer detection, treatment, and monitoring that can benefit from the emerging biology and physics of the nanoscale.

These challenges include detecting cancer earlier than existing methods allow, harnessing the immune system to fight cancer even as it evolves, using therapeutic insights from cancer biology to design therapies for previously undruggable targets, combining existing drugs for synergistic action, and creating tools for more accurate diagnosis and better surgical intervention.

Koch Institute member Sangeeta N. Bhatia, the John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, serves as the inaugural director for the center.

A major goal for research at the Marble Center is to leverage the collaborative culture at the Koch Institute to use nanotechnology to improve cancer diagnosis and care in patients around the world, Bhatia says.

Transforming nanomedicine

The Marble Center joins MITs broader efforts at the forefront of discovery and innovation to solve the urgent global challenge that is cancer. The concept of convergence the blending of the life and physical sciences with engineering is a hallmark of MIT, the founding principle of the Koch Institute, and at the heart of the Marble Centers mission.

The center galvanizes the MIT cancer research community in efforts to use nanomedicine as a translational platform for cancer care, says Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Institute and a David H. Koch Professor of Biology. Its transformative by applying these emerging technologies to push the boundaries of cancer detection, treatment, and monitoring and translational by promoting their development and application in the clinic.

The centers faculty six prominent MIT professors and Koch Institute members are committed to fighting cancer with nanomedicine through research, education, and collaboration. They are:

Sangeeta Bhatia (director), the John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science;

Daniel G. Anderson, the Samuel A. Goldblith Professor of Applied Biology in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science;

Angela M. Belcher, the James Mason Crafts Professor in the departments of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering;

Paula T. Hammond, the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering;

Darrell J. Irvine, professor in the departments of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering; and

Robert S. Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor.

Extending their collaboration within the walls of the Institute, Marble Center members benefit greatly from the support of the Peterson (1957) Nanotechnology Materials Core Facility in the Koch Institutes Robert A. Swanson (1969) Biotechnology Center. The Peterson Facilitys array of technological resources and expertise is unmatched in the United States, and gives members of the center, and of the Koch Institute, a distinct advantage in the development and application of nanoscale materials and technologies.

Looking ahead

The Marble Center has wasted no time getting up to speed in its first year, and has provided support for innovative research projects including theranostic nanoparticles that can both detect and treat cancers, real-time imaging of interactions between cancer and immune cells to better understand response to cancer immunotherapies, and delivery technologies for several powerful RNA-based therapeutics able to engage specific cancer targets with precision.

As part of its efforts to help foster a multifaceted science and engineering research force, the center has provided fellowship support for trainees as well as valuable opportunities for mentorship, scientific exchange, and professional development.

Promotingbroader engagement, the Marble Center serves as a bridge to a wide network of nanomedicine resources, connecting its members to MIT.nano, other nanotechnology researchers, and clinical collaborators across Boston and beyond. The center has also convened a scientific advisory board, whose members hail from leading academic and clinical centers around the country, and will help shape the centers future programs and continued expansion.

As the Marble Center begins another year of collaborations and innovation, there is a new milestone in sight for 2018.Nanomedicine has been selected as the central theme for the Koch Institutes 17th Annual Cancer Research Symposium. Scheduled for June 15, 2018, the event will bring together national leaders in the field, providing an ideal forum for Marble Center members to share the discoveries and advancements made during its sophomore year.

Having next years KI Annual Symposium dedicated to nanomedicine will be a wonderful way to further expose the cancer research community to the power of doing science at the nanoscale, Bhatia says. The interdisciplinary approach has the power to accelerate new ideas at this exciting interface of nanotechnology and medicine.

To learn more about the people and projects of the Koch Institute Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, visit nanomedicine.mit.edu.

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Converging on cancer at the nanoscale | MIT News - The MIT Tech

The department wanted nanotechnology to benefit the poor, so it directed funding towards pro-poor initiatives by prioritising research into diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis (TB). However, many less prominent diseases received proportionately more attention. In an unpublished report by the Mapungubwe Institute, researchers found that Parkinsons disease accounts for 2% of nanomedicine research, but is only 0.04% of South African disability-adjusted life years. In addition to Parkinsons, South African scholars study malaria, hepatitis B and Alzheimers in greater proportion than their disability-adjusted life years.

On the other hand, HIV/AIDS is severely understudied. HIV/AIDS accounts for 40% of SAs disability-adjusted life years but represents only 4% of South African nanomedicine research. The gross mismatch between R&D and the needs of South Africans shows that the interests of researchers can be at odds with the needs of the community.

We believe this mismatch is the symptom of global trends in medical R&D and the challenging economics of developing medicines that help the poor. Pharmaceutical companies have little desire to research diseases such as malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS because it will be difficult for them to recoup their R&D costs from medicine sales. In contrast, there is a robust market for cancer and Parkinsons disease medicines and they are, therefore, willing to invest in R&D in these fields.

As a consequence, well-targeted state intervention is needed to encourage R&D on diseases that do not have a market.

In a provocative book titled The Entrepreneurial State, Mariana Mazzucato provides examples of cases in which the state has inevitably been a lead investor and risk-taker in capitalist economies through "mission-oriented" investments and policies.

They include key technologies such as the internet, nanotechnologies, microbiology and drug discovery technologies, where the state played a leading role in achieving the necessary technological breakthroughs.

The state can risk funding initial R&D in areas that have no clear market but that push the bounds of science. An outstanding example is the iPhone all the key technologies behind it, such as the touchscreen, the internet and microprocessors, were funded by the state. The Obama administration also provided a direct $465m loan to Tesla Motors to build its model S.

The state should undertake risky investment to find solutions for its critical medicine research and drug discovery. The focus of private pharma is to focus on less innovative drugs, and private venture capitalists enter only once the real risk has been absorbed by the state.

Bill Gates said the key element to getting a breakthrough is more basic research, and that requires the government to take the lead. Only when that research is pointing towards a product, can we expect the private sector to kick in.

The government should play a leading role as an "entrepreneurial" investor and reap some of the financial rewards over time by retaining ownership of a small proportion of the intellectual property created.

Rather than succumb to its preassigned role as a "market fixer", the governments role should include resource mobilisation and setting the conditions for widespread market commercialisation.

It is time for SA to ask: what is it that the public and private sectors can do together to tackle the dire healthcare situation?

There is a great need for science and politics to combine efforts. A diverse set of governance actors, programmes, instruments and influences are needed by each form of new technology.

These recommendations will not immediately solve all of SAs health problems, but would put the country in a better position to improve its health-innovation system and the wellbeing of its people.

Woodson is assistant professor at Stony Brook University and Perrot is an independent researcher.

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Researchers at London, UK-based Imperial College are developing a technology to transport drugs directly to the lungs of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients.

The technology consists of ethanol-heated iron and trans-trans muconic acid nanoparticles that can be small molecule drug actives.

These particles can be delivered directly to the site of the disease according to lead researcher Jane Mitchell, who told us the targeted approach bypasses the toxicity issues that have held back development of less targeted, systemic nanomedicines.

One of the biggest limitations in nanomedicine is toxicity, some of the best nanomedicine structures do not make it past the initial stages of development, as they kill cells, said Mitchell.

However in a study published in Pulmonary Circulation , researchers explain that these metallic structures - called metal organic frameworks (MOF) are not harmful to cells.

We made these prototype MOFs, and have shown they were not toxic to a whole range of human lung cells, Mitchell told us.

The hope is that using this approach will ultimately allow for high concentrations of drugs we already have, to be delivered to only the vessels in the lung, and reduce side effects, she said.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)

PAH is a rare lung disease caused by changes to the smaller branches of the pulmonary arteries. The artery walls thicken, and eventually cause organ failure.

While no cure exists, treatments that open up blood vessels in the artery wall are available. According to Mitchell, these treatments can produce negative side effects.

The drugs available [for PAH]are all small molecule drugs which are seriously limited by systemic side effects. Therefore delivering these drugs to the site of disease in our metal organic frame-work (MOF) carrier would represent a paradigm step forward in technology to treat this disease, she said.

Further, researchers believe the MOF technology has therapeutic benefits of its own.

We know that the carriers can havetherapeutic benefits intheir own right such as reducing inflammation and, in the case of ourformation, the potential for imaging, said Mitchell.

For patients with PAH, it could mean we are able to turn it from a fatal condition, to a chronic manageable one, she said.

According to Mitchell, the technology is not expensive at the experimental level, and would be scaled up at commercial level.

We now need to perform proof of concept studies using carriers containing drugs in cell and animal based models. With funding, this will be complete within 2 years, she Mitchell.

Upon completion of clinical trials, the University hopes to license out the technology.

Link:
Nanoparticle delivery tech targets rare lung disease - In-PharmaTechnologist.com

Nanotechnology is one of the most promising technologies in 21st century. Nanotechnology is a term used when technological developments occur at 0.1 to 100 nm scale. Nano medicine is a branch of nanotechnology which involves medicine development at molecular scale for diagnosis, prevention, treatment of diseases and even regeneration of tissues and organs. Thus it helps to preserve and improve human health. Nanomedicine offers an impressive solution for various life threatening diseases such as cancer, Parkinson, Alzheimer, diabetes, orthopedic problems, diseases related to blood, lungs, neurological, and cardiovascular system.

Development of a new nenomedicine takes several years which are based on various technologies such as dendrimers, micelles, nanocrystals, fullerenes, virosome nanoparticles, nanopores, liposomes, nanorods, nanoemulsions, quantum dots, and nanorobots.

In the field of diagnosis, nanotechnology based methods are more precise, reliable and require minimum amount of biological sample which avoid considerable reduction in consumption of reagents and disposables. Apart from diagnosis, nanotechnology is more widely used in drug delivery purpose due to nanoscale particles with larger surface to volume ratio than micro and macro size particle responsible for higher drug loading. Nano size products allow to enter into body cavities for diagnosis or treatment with minimum invasiveness and increased bioavailability. This will not only improve the efficacy of treatment and diagnosis, but also reduces the side effects of drugs in case of targeted therapy.

Global nanomedicine market is majorly segmented on the basis of applications in medicines, targeted disease and geography. Applications segment includes drug delivery (carrier), drugs, biomaterials, active implant, in-vitro diagnostic, and in-vivo imaging. Global nanomedicine divided on the basis of targeted diseases or disorders in following segment: neurology, cardiovascular, oncology, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and others. Geographically, nanomedicine market is classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. Considering nanomedicine market by application, drug delivery contribute higher followed by in-vitro diagnostics. Global nanomedicine market was dominated by oncology segment in 2012 due to ability of nanomedicine to cross body barriers and targeted to tumors specifically however cardiovascular nanomedicine market is fastest growing segment. Geographically, North America dominated the market in 2013 and is expected to maintain its position in the near future. Asia Pacific market is anticipated to grow at faster rate due to rapid increase in geriatric population and rising awareness regarding health care. Europe is expected to grow at faster rate than North America due to extensive product pipeline portfolio and constantly improving regulatory framework.

A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6370

Major drivers for nanomedicine market include improved regulatory framework, increasing technological know-how and research funding, rising government support and continuous increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, kidney disorder, and orthopedic diseases. Some other driving factors include rising number of geriatric population, awareness of nanomedicine application and presence of high unmet medical needs. Growing demand of nanomedicines from the end users is expected to drive the market in the forecast period. However, market entry of new companies is expected to bridge the gap between supply and demand of nanomedicines. Above mentioned drivers currently outweigh the risk associated with nanomedicines such as toxicity and high cost. At present, cancer is one of the major targeted areas in which nanomedicines have made contribution. Doxil, Depocyt, Abraxane, Oncospar, and Neulasta are some of the examples of pharmaceuticals formulated using nanotechnology.

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Key players in the global nanomedicine market include: Abbott Laboratories, CombiMatrix Corporation, GE Healthcare, Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt plc, Merck & Company, Inc., Nanosphere, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Celgene Corporation, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and UCB (Union chimique belge) S.A.

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Healthcare Nanotechnology (Nanomedicine) Market Expected to Generate Huge Profits by 2015 2021: Persistence ... - MilTech

New research from Imperial College London, that has recently been published online, examined a novel type of nanoparticle called metal organic frameworks (MOF) as drug carriers for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Published in Pulmonary Circulation, the research describes the first steps in the development of nanoparticles that can deliver drugs directly to the lungs. The MOFs, created in the laboratory by the researchers, are composed of iron and can expand to create pores within which drugs used to treat PAH can be stored and released where needed.

The hope is that using this approach will ultimately allow for high concentrations of drugs we already have to be delivered to only the vessels in the lung, and reduce side effects, explained Professor Jane Mitchell, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial in a news release. For patients with PAH, it could mean we are able to turn it from a fatal condition, to a chronic manageable one.

When testing the MOFs, the team from Imperial found that the structures reduced inflammation and were not toxic to human lung cells and blood vessels in laboratory conditions. Further testing in rats, showed the MOFs were safe in the animal model over a two-week period with few side-effects a slight build-up of iron was seen in the liver.

One of the biggest limitations in nanomedicine is toxicity, some of the best nanomedicine structures do not make it past the initial stages of development as they kill cells, continued Mitchell. We made these prototype MOFs, and have shown they were not toxic to a whole range of human lung cells.

The aim is to develop the metallic structures as a drug delivery method where the framework can hold onto the drug and release it under specific conditions, such as a change in pH, temperature or using magnets external to the body to draw the MOFs to the target area. Next steps for this research is to discover the ideal way to get the tiny structures loaded with drugs and delivered to the lungs effectively.

In this study we have proved the principle that this type of carrier has the potential to be loaded with a drug and targeted to the lung, Mitchell concluded. This is fundamental research and while this particular MOF might not be the one that makes it to a drug to treat PAH, our work opens up the idea that this disease should be considered with an increased research effort for targeted drug delivery.

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Metallic nanomolecules could help treat fatal lung disease in the future, notes research - EPM Magazine

LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Global Nano Chemotherapy Market & Clinical Trials Outlook 2022" report highlights the current development in the in the field of nano chemotherapy. Report gives comprehensive insight on various clinical and non-clinical parameters associated with the expansion of global nano chemotherapeutics market. The clinical and pricing insight on chemotherapeutics nanoformulations of approved drugs helps to understand the current market scenario of the nano chemotherapeutics.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4884894/

Nano chemotherapy is emerging as an important anti-cancer modality by supplementing the traditional chemotherapy. The main aim of nano chemotherapeutics is to improve the therapeutic efficacy of currently available chemotherapeutic agents by combining it with a nano scale delivery component. The majority of the cancer nanodrugs in the market are liposomes and polymer based nanoformulations which lower the toxicity and enhance the delivery of chemotherapeutics through the passive targeting. It is based on enhanced penetration and retention effect to reduce the lymphatic drainage in tumor tissue.

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are distributed non-specifically in body where they affect both cancerous and normal cells and thereby it limit the dose availability with in the tumor and also results in suboptimal treatment due to excessive toxicities. To overcome the limitations of chemotherapy treatment, many more therapies has also been emerged.

The use of nanoparticles by both passive and active targeting strategies can enhance the intracellular concentration of drugs in cancer cells while avoiding the toxicity in normal cells. When the nanoparticles bind to a specific receptors and then enter the cell, usually enveloped by endosomes through receptor mediated endocytosis and thereby bypassing the recognition of P glycoprotein.

Nanomedicine has already met with success in oncology domain with various product commercially available in the market. By releasing the efficacy of nanomedicine in oncology, it increases the interest of the market players to commercialize the products in the field of nanotherapeutics and helps to increase the global market. The future of nanotherapeutics is bright and especially for the reversible cross linked nano carriers which are decorated with the cancer targeting ligands and it promote the endocytic uptake in tumor cells. The approach has the potential to overcome the drug resistance which is often with conventional chemotherapies.

For the next generation cancer nanotherapeutics, the complexity is higher which are under clinical development in terms of hybrid structures, surface physiochemical characteristics and mechanisms of delivery and action. There have been rapid advances in the nano therapeutic field in the past decade. Many of the nano carriers have been developed from which some have the great therapeutic potential. However, there remain many challenges in translating the nanoparticle drugs into the clinics. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4884894/

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The mission of Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine (Nanomedicine: NBM) is to promote the emerging interdisciplinary field of nanomedicine.

Nanomedicine: NBM is an international, peer-reviewed journal presenting novel, significant, and interdisciplinary theoretical and experimental results...

The mission of Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine (Nanomedicine: NBM) is to promote the emerging interdisciplinary field of nanomedicine.

Nanomedicine: NBM is an international, peer-reviewed journal presenting novel, significant, and interdisciplinary theoretical and experimental results related to nanoscience and nanotechnology in the life sciences. Content includes basic, translational, and clinical research addressing diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, prediction, and prevention of diseases. In addition to bimonthly issues, the journal website (http://www.nanomedjournal.com) also presents important nanomedicine-related information, such as future meetings, meeting summaries, funding opportunities, societal subjects, public health, and ethical issues of nanomedicine.

The potential scope of nanomedicine is broad, and we expect it to eventually involve all aspects of medicine. Sub-categories include synthesis, bioavailability, and biodistribution of nanomedicines; delivery, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of nanomedicines; imaging; diagnostics; improved therapeutics; innovative biomaterials; interactions of nanomaterials with cells, tissues, and living organisms; regenerative medicine; public health; toxicology; point of care monitoring; nutrition; nanomedical devices; prosthetics; biomimetics; and bioinformatics.

Article formats include Communications, Original Articles, Reviews, Perspectives, Technical and Commercialization Notes, and Letters to the Editor. We invite authors to submit original manuscripts in these categories. The journal website (http://www.nanomedjournal.com) also presents important nanomedicine-related information, such as future meetings, meeting summaries, funding opportunities, societal subjects, public health, and ethical issues of nanomedicine.

Follow this link:
Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine - Official Site

July 3, 2017 by Ryan O'hare Nanomedicine could help patients with fatal lung conditions. Credit: Imperial College London

Metallic nanomolecules capable of carrying drugs to exactly where they are needed could one day help to treat patients with a fatal lung condition.

Scientists based at Imperial College London have tested a new type of nanoparticle called metal organic frameworks (MOF) tiny metal cages less than 100 nanometres across that can be loaded with drug molecules which they believe could potentially be used to treat patients with a devastating condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

In PAH the blood vessels of the lungs constrict and thicken, increasing blood pressure and causing the right side of the heart to work harder and harder, until it eventually fails. The condition is rare but devastating and can affect people of all ages, including babies, young adults and the elderly. Patients in the late stage of the disease have few treatment options beyond transplant, with a mean survival time of around five years following diagnosis.

While there is no cure for PAH, existing treatments work by opening up these blood vessels. These drugs act on blood vessels throughout the body, however, causing blood pressure to drop and resulting in a number of side effects which means the dose at which these drugs can be given is limited.

In their latest study, published online in Pulmonary Circulation, the multidisciplinary group at Imperial describes how it has taken the first in a number of steps to develop nanoparticles which could deliver drugs directly to the lungs, showing that the basic structures are not harmful to cells.

Professor Jane Mitchell, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial, who led the research, said: "The hope is that using this approach will ultimately allow for high concentrations of drugs we already have to be delivered to only the vessels in the lung, and reduce side effects. For patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, it could mean we are able to turn it from a fatal condition, to a chronic manageable one."

Metallic cages for drug delivery

The tiny metallic structures composed of iron were made in the lab of Professor Paul Lickiss and Dr Rob Davies's, from the Department of Chemistry and by Dr Nura Mohamed during her PhD studies at Imperial. Dr Mohamed, who was funded by the Qatar Foundation, made the structures so existing drugs used to treat PAH could fit inside them.

These structures were tested in human lung cells and blood vessel cells, which were grown from stem cells in the blood of patients with PAH. The team found that the structures reduced inflammation and were not toxic to the cells.

Further tests showed that the MOFs were safe in rats, with animals injected with MOFs over a two-week period showing few side effects other than a slight build-up of iron in the liver.

"One of the biggest limitations in nanomedicine is toxicity, some of best nanomedicine structures do not make it past the initial stages of development as they kill cells," said Professor Mitchell. "We made these prototype MOFs, and have shown they were not toxic to a whole range of human lung cells."

MOFs are an area of interest in nanomedicine, with engineers aiming to develop them as carriers which can hold onto drug cargo, releasing it under specific conditions, such as changes in pH, temperature, or even when the nanostructures are drawn to the target area by magnets outside the body.

Beyond the finding that their iron nanostructures were non-toxic, the team believes the MOFs may have additional therapeutic properties. There was evidence to suggest anti-inflammatory properties, with the MOFs reducing the levels of an inflammatory marker in the blood vessels, called endothelin-1, which causes arteries to constrict. In addition, iron is also a contrast agent, meaning it would show up on scans of the lungs to show where the drug had reached.

The MOFs have not yet been tested in patients, but the next step is to load the tiny metallic structures with drugs and work out the best way to get them to target their cargo to the lungs. The researchers are confident that if successful, the approach could move to trials for patients, with a drug candidate ready to test within the next five years. The MOFs could potentially be delivered by an inhaler into the lung, or administered by injection.

"In this study we have proved the principle that this type of carrier has the potential to be loaded with a drug and targeted to the lung," explained Professor Mitchell. "This is fundamental research and while this particular MOF might not be the one that makes it to a drug to treat PAH, our work opens up the idea that this disease should be considered with an increased research effort for targeted drug delivery."

Explore further: Longer-lasting pain relief with MOFs

More information: Nura A. Mohamed et al. Chemical and biological assessment of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in pulmonary cells and in an acute in vivo model: relevance to pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy, Pulmonary Circulation (2017). DOI: 10.1177/2045893217710224

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Nano-sized drug carriers could be the future for patients with lung disease - Phys.Org

June 30, 2017 Size switchable nano-theranostics constructed with decomposable inorganic nanomaterials for acidic TME targeted cancer therapy. (a) A scheme showing the preparation of HSA-MnO2-Ce6&Pt (HMCP) nanoparticles, and (b) their tumor microenvironment responsive dissociation to enable efficient intra-tumoral penetration of therapeutic albumin complexes. (c) A scheme showing the preparation of Ce6(Mn)@CaCO3-PEG, and (d) its acidic TME responsive dissociation for enhanced MR imaging and synergistic cancer therapy. Credit: Science China Press

Cancer is one of leading causes of human mortality around the world. The current mainstream cancer treatment modalities (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy) only show limited treatment outcomes, partly owing to the complexities and heterogeneity of tumor biology. In recent decades, with the rapid advance of nanotechnology, nanomedicine has attracted increasing attention as promising for personalized medicine to enable more efficient and reliable cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Unlike normal cells energized via oxidative phosphorylation, tumor cells utilize the energy produced from oxygen-independent glycolysis for survival by adapting to insufficient tumor oxygen supply resulting from the heterogeneously distributed tumor vasculatures (also known as the Warburg effect). Via such oncogenic metabolism, tumor cells would produce a large amount of lactate along with excess protons and carbon dioxide, which collectively contribute to enhanced acidification of the extracellular TME with pH, often in the range of 6.5 to 6.8, leading to increased tumor metastasis and treatment resistance.

With rapid advances in nanotechnology, several catalogs of nanomaterials have been widely explored for the design of cancer-targeted nano-theranostics. In a new overview published in the Beijing-based National Science Review, co-authors Liangzhu Feng, Ziliang Dong, Danlei Tao, Yicheng Zhang and Zhuang Liu at the Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University in Suzhou, China present new developments in the design of novel multifunctional nano-theranostics for precision cancer nanomedicine by targeting the acidic TME and outline the potential development directions of future acidic tumor microenvironment-responsive nano-theranostics.

"Various types of pH-responsive nanoprobes have been developed to enable great signal amplification under slightly reduced pH within solid tumors. By taking the acidic TME as the target, smart imaging nanoprobes with excellent pH-responsive signal amplification would be promising to enable more sensitive and accurate tumor diagnosis," they state in the published study.

"As far as nano-therapeutics are concerned, it has been found that the acidic TME responsive surface charge reverse, PEG corona detachment and size shrinkage (or decomposition) of nanoparticles would facilitate the efficient tumor accumulation, intra-tumoral diffusion and tumor cellular uptake of therapeutics, leading to significantly improved cancer treatment. Therefore, the rational development of novel cancer-targeted nano-theranostics with sequential patterns of size switch from large to small, and surface charge reverse from neutral or slightly negative to positive within the tumor, would be more preferred for efficient tumor-targeted drug delivery."

The scientists also write, "For the translation of those interesting smart pH-responsive nano-therapeutics from bench to bedside, the formulation of those nanoscale systems should be relatively simple, reliable and with great biocompatibility, since many of those currently developed nano-theranostics were may be too complicated for clinical translation."

Explore further: Treatment with Alk5 inhibitor improves tumor uptake of imaging agents

More information: Liangzhu Feng et al, The acidic tumor microenvironment: a target for smart cancer nano-theranostics, National Science Review (2017). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwx062

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Exploiting acidic tumor microenvironment for the development of novel cancer nano-theranostics - Medical Xpress

Nanobiotechnology, bionanotechnology, and nanobiology are terms that refer to the intersection of nanotechnology and biology.[1] Given that the subject is one that has only emerged very recently, bionanotechnology and nanobiotechnology serve as blanket terms for various related technologies.

This discipline helps to indicate the merger of biological research with various fields of nanotechnology. Concepts that are enhanced through nanobiology include: nanodevices (such as biological machines), nanoparticles, and nanoscale phenomena that occurs within the discipline of nanotechnology. This technical approach to biology allows scientists to imagine and create systems that can be used for biological research. Biologically inspired nanotechnology uses biological systems as the inspirations for technologies not yet created.[2] However, as with nanotechnology and biotechnology, bionanotechnology does have many potential ethical issues associated with it.

The most important objectives that are frequently found in nanobiology involve applying nanotools to relevant medical/biological problems and refining these applications. Developing new tools, such as peptoid nanosheets, for medical and biological purposes is another primary objective in nanotechnology. New nanotools are often made by refining the applications of the nanotools that are already being used. The imaging of native biomolecules, biological membranes, and tissues is also a major topic for the nanobiology researchers. Other topics concerning nanobiology include the use of cantilever array sensors and the application of nanophotonics for manipulating molecular processes in living cells.[3]

Recently, the use of microorganisms to synthesize functional nanoparticles has been of great interest. Microorganisms can change the oxidation state of metals. These microbial processes have opened up new opportunities for us to explore novel applications, for example, the biosynthesis of metal nanomaterials. In contrast to chemical and physical methods, microbial processes for synthesizing nanomaterials can be achieved in aqueous phase under gentle and environmentally benign conditions. This approach has become an attractive focus in current green bionanotechnology research towards sustainable development.[4]

The terms are often used interchangeably. When a distinction is intended, though, it is based on whether the focus is on applying biological ideas or on studying biology with nanotechnology. Bionanotechnology generally refers to the study of how the goals of nanotechnology can be guided by studying how biological "machines" work and adapting these biological motifs into improving existing nanotechnologies or creating new ones.[5][6] Nanobiotechnology, on the other hand, refers to the ways that nanotechnology is used to create devices to study biological systems.[7]

In other words, nanobiotechnology is essentially miniaturized biotechnology, whereas bionanotechnology is a specific application of nanotechnology. For example, DNA nanotechnology or cellular engineering would be classified as bionanotechnology because they involve working with biomolecules on the nanoscale. Conversely, many new medical technologies involving nanoparticles as delivery systems or as sensors would be examples of nanobiotechnology since they involve using nanotechnology to advance the goals of biology.

The definitions enumerated above will be utilized whenever a distinction between nanobio and bionano is made in this article. However, given the overlapping usage of the terms in modern parlance, individual technologies may need to be evaluated to determine which term is more fitting. As such, they are best discussed in parallel.

Most of the scientific concepts in bionanotechnology are derived from other fields. Biochemical principles that are used to understand the material properties of biological systems are central in bionanotechnology because those same principles are to be used to create new technologies. Material properties and applications studied in bionanoscience include mechanical properties(e.g. deformation, adhesion, failure), electrical/electronic (e.g. electromechanical stimulation, capacitors, energy storage/batteries), optical (e.g. absorption, luminescence, photochemistry), thermal (e.g. thermomutability, thermal management), biological (e.g. how cells interact with nanomaterials, molecular flaws/defects, biosensing, biological mechanisms s.a. mechanosensing), nanoscience of disease (e.g. genetic disease, cancer, organ/tissue failure), as well as computing (e.g. DNA computing)and agriculture(target delivery of pesticides, hormones and fertilizers.[8] The impact of bionanoscience, achieved through structural and mechanistic analyses of biological processes at nanoscale, is their translation into synthetic and technological applications through nanotechnology.

Nano-biotechnology takes most of its fundamentals from nanotechnology. Most of the devices designed for nano-biotechnological use are directly based on other existing nanotechnologies. Nano-biotechnology is often used to describe the overlapping multidisciplinary activities associated with biosensors, particularly where photonics, chemistry, biology, biophysics, nano-medicine, and engineering converge. Measurement in biology using wave guide techniques, such as dual polarization interferometry, are another example.

Applications of bionanotechnology are extremely widespread. Insofar as the distinction holds, nanobiotechnology is much more commonplace in that it simply provides more tools for the study of biology. Bionanotechnology, on the other hand, promises to recreate biological mechanisms and pathways in a form that is useful in other ways.

Nanomedicine is a field of medical science whose applications are increasing more and more thanks to nanorobots and biological machines, which constitute a very useful tool to develop this area of knowledge. In the past years, researchers have done many improvements in the different devices and systems required to develop nanorobots. This supposes a new way of treating and dealing with diseases such as cancer; thanks to nanorobots, side effects of chemotherapy have been controlled, reduced and even eliminated, so some years from now, cancer patients will be offered an alternative to treat this disease instead of chemotherapy, which causes secondary effects such as hair loss, fatigue or nausea killing not only cancerous cells but also the healthy ones. At a clinical level, cancer treatment with nanomedicine will consist on the supply of nanorobots to the patient through an injection that will seek for cancerous cells leaving untouched the healthy ones. Patients that will be treated through nanomedicine will not notice the presence of this nanomachines inside them; the only thing that is going to be noticeable is the progressive improvement of their health.[9]

Nanobiotechnology (sometimes referred to as nanobiology) is best described as helping modern medicine progress from treating symptoms to generating cures and regenerating biological tissues. Three American patients have received whole cultured bladders with the help of doctors who use nanobiology techniques in their practice. Also, it has been demonstrated in animal studies that a uterus can be grown outside the body and then placed in the body in order to produce a baby. Stem cell treatments have been used to fix diseases that are found in the human heart and are in clinical trials in the United States. There is also funding for research into allowing people to have new limbs without having to resort to prosthesis. Artificial proteins might also become available to manufacture without the need for harsh chemicals and expensive machines. It has even been surmised that by the year 2055, computers may be made out of biochemicals and organic salts.[10]

Another example of current nanobiotechnological research involves nanospheres coated with fluorescent polymers. Researchers are seeking to design polymers whose fluorescence is quenched when they encounter specific molecules. Different polymers would detect different metabolites. The polymer-coated spheres could become part of new biological assays, and the technology might someday lead to particles which could be introduced into the human body to track down metabolites associated with tumors and other health problems. Another example, from a different perspective, would be evaluation and therapy at the nanoscopic level, i.e. the treatment of Nanobacteria (25-200nm sized) as is done by NanoBiotech Pharma.

While nanobiology is in its infancy, there are a lot of promising methods that will rely on nanobiology in the future. Biological systems are inherently nano in scale; nanoscience must merge with biology in order to deliver biomacromolecules and molecular machines that are similar to nature. Controlling and mimicking the devices and processes that are constructed from molecules is a tremendous challenge to face the converging disciplines of nanotechnology.[11] All living things, including humans, can be considered to be nanofoundries. Natural evolution has optimized the "natural" form of nanobiology over millions of years. In the 21st century, humans have developed the technology to artificially tap into nanobiology. This process is best described as "organic merging with synthetic." Colonies of live neurons can live together on a biochip device; according to research from Dr. Gunther Gross at the University of North Texas. Self-assembling nanotubes have the ability to be used as a structural system. They would be composed together with rhodopsins; which would facilitate the optical computing process and help with the storage of biological materials. DNA (as the software for all living things) can be used as a structural proteomic system - a logical component for molecular computing. Ned Seeman - a researcher at New York University - along with other researchers are currently researching concepts that are similar to each other.[12]

DNA nanotechnology is one important example of bionanotechnology.[13] The utilization of the inherent properties of nucleic acids like DNA to create useful materials is a promising area of modern research. Another important area of research involves taking advantage of membrane properties to generate synthetic membranes. Proteins that self-assemble to generate functional materials could be used as a novel approach for the large-scale production of programmable nanomaterials. One example is the development of amyloids found in bacterial biofilms as engineered nanomaterials that can be programmed genetically to have different properties.[14]Protein folding studies provide a third important avenue of research, but one that has been largely inhibited by our inability to predict protein folding with a sufficiently high degree of accuracy. Given the myriad uses that biological systems have for proteins, though, research into understanding protein folding is of high importance and could prove fruitful for bionanotechnology in the future.

Lipid nanotechnology is another major area of research in bionanotechnology, where physico-chemical properties of lipids such as their antifouling and self-assembly is exploited to build nanodevices with applications in medicine and engineering.[15]

Meanwhile, nanotechnology application to biotechnology will also leave no field untouched by its groundbreaking scientific innovations for human wellness; the agricultural industry is no exception. Basically, nanomaterials are distinguished depending on the origin: natural, incidental and engineered nanoparticles. Among these, engineered nanoparticles have received wide attention in all fields of science, including medical, materials and agriculture technology with significant socio-economical growth. In the agriculture industry, engineered nanoparticles have been serving as nano carrier, containing herbicides, chemicals, or genes, which target particular plant parts to release their content.[16] Previously nanocapsules containing herbicides have been reported to effectively penetrate through cuticles and tissues, allowing the slow and constant release of the active substances. Likewise, other literature describes that nano-encapsulated slow release of fertilizers has also become a trend to save fertilizer consumption and to minimize environmental pollution through precision farming. These are only a few examples from numerous research works which might open up exciting opportunities for nanobiotechnology application in agriculture. Also, application of this kind of engineered nanoparticles to plants should be considered the level of amicability before it is employed in agriculture practices. Based on a thorough literature survey, it was understood that there is only limited authentic information available to explain the biological consequence of engineered nanoparticles on treated plants. Certain reports underline the phytotoxicity of various origin of engineered nanoparticles to the plant caused by the subject of concentrations and sizes . At the same time, however, an equal number of studies were reported with a positive outcome of nanoparticles, which facilitate growth promoting nature to treat plant.[17] In particular, compared to other nanoparticles, silver and gold nanoparticles based applications elicited beneficial results on various plant species with less and/or no toxicity.[18][19] Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) treated leaves of Asparagus showed the increased content of ascorbate and chlorophyll. Similarly, AgNPs-treated common bean and corn has increased shoot and root length, leaf surface area, chlorophyll, carbohydrate and protein contents reported earlier.[20] The gold nanoparticle has been used to induce growth and seed yield in Brassica juncea.[21]

This field relies on a variety of research methods, including experimental tools (e.g. imaging, characterization via AFM/optical tweezers etc.), x-ray diffraction based tools, synthesis via self-assembly, characterization of self-assembly (using e.g. MP-SPR, DPI, recombinant DNA methods, etc.), theory (e.g. statistical mechanics, nanomechanics, etc.), as well as computational approaches (bottom-up multi-scale simulation, supercomputing).

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Nanobiotechnology - Wikipedia

Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology.[1] Nanomedicine ranges from the medical applications of nanomaterials and biological devices, to nanoelectronic biosensors, and even possible future applications of molecular nanotechnology such as biological machines. Current problems for nanomedicine involve understanding the issues related to toxicity and environmental impact of nanoscale materials (materials whose structure is on the scale of nanometers, i.e. billionths of a meter).

Functionalities can be added to nanomaterials by interfacing them with biological molecules or structures. The size of nanomaterials is similar to that of most biological molecules and structures; therefore, nanomaterials can be useful for both in vivo and in vitro biomedical research and applications. Thus far, the integration of nanomaterials with biology has led to the development of diagnostic devices, contrast agents, analytical tools, physical therapy applications, and drug delivery vehicles.

Nanomedicine seeks to deliver a valuable set of research tools and clinically useful devices in the near future.[2][3] The National Nanotechnology Initiative expects new commercial applications in the pharmaceutical industry that may include advanced drug delivery systems, new therapies, and in vivo imaging.[4] Nanomedicine research is receiving funding from the US National Institutes of Health, including the funding in 2005 of a five-year plan to set up four nanomedicine centers.

Nanomedicine sales reached $16 billion in 2015, with a minimum of $3.8 billion in nanotechnology R&D being invested every year. Global funding for emerging nanotechnology increased by 45% per year in recent years, with product sales exceeding $1 trillion in 2013.[5] As the nanomedicine industry continues to grow, it is expected to have a significant impact on the economy.

Nanotechnology has provided the possibility of delivering drugs to specific cells using nanoparticles.

The overall drug consumption and side-effects may be lowered significantly by depositing the active agent in the morbid region only and in no higher dose than needed. Targeted drug delivery is intended to reduce the side effects of drugs with concomitant decreases in consumption and treatment expenses. Drug delivery focuses on maximizing bioavailability both at specific places in the body and over a period of time. This can potentially be achieved by molecular targeting by nanoengineered devices.[6][7] More than $65 billion are wasted each year due to poor bioavailability.[citation needed] A benefit of using nanoscale for medical technologies is that smaller devices are less invasive and can possibly be implanted inside the body, plus biochemical reaction times are much shorter. These devices are faster and more sensitive than typical drug delivery.[8] The efficacy of drug delivery through nanomedicine is largely based upon: a) efficient encapsulation of the drugs, b) successful delivery of drug to the targeted region of the body, and c) successful release of the drug.[citation needed]

Drug delivery systems, lipid- [9] or polymer-based nanoparticles,[10] can be designed to improve the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of the drug.[11][12][13] However, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nanomedicine is highly variable among different patients.[14] When designed to avoid the body's defence mechanisms,[15] nanoparticles have beneficial properties that can be used to improve drug delivery. Complex drug delivery mechanisms are being developed, including the ability to get drugs through cell membranes and into cell cytoplasm. Triggered response is one way for drug molecules to be used more efficiently. Drugs are placed in the body and only activate on encountering a particular signal. For example, a drug with poor solubility will be replaced by a drug delivery system where both hydrophilic and hydrophobic environments exist, improving the solubility.[16] Drug delivery systems may also be able to prevent tissue damage through regulated drug release; reduce drug clearance rates; or lower the volume of distribution and reduce the effect on non-target tissue. However, the biodistribution of these nanoparticles is still imperfect due to the complex host's reactions to nano- and microsized materials[15] and the difficulty in targeting specific organs in the body. Nevertheless, a lot of work is still ongoing to optimize and better understand the potential and limitations of nanoparticulate systems. While advancement of research proves that targeting and distribution can be augmented by nanoparticles, the dangers of nanotoxicity become an important next step in further understanding of their medical uses.[17]

Nanoparticles can be used in combination therapy for decreasing antibiotic resistance or for their antimicrobial properties.[18][19][20] Nanoparticles might also used to circumvent multidrug resistance (MDR) mechanisms.[21]

Two forms of nanomedicine that have already been tested in mice and are awaiting human trials that will be using gold nanoshells to help diagnose and treat cancer,[22] and using liposomes as vaccine adjuvants and as vehicles for drug transport.[23][24] Similarly, drug detoxification is also another application for nanomedicine which has shown promising results in rats.[25] Advances in Lipid nanotechnology was also instrumental in engineering medical nanodevices and novel drug delivery systems as well as in developing sensing applications.[26] Another example can be found in dendrimers and nanoporous materials. Another example is to use block co-polymers, which form micelles for drug encapsulation.[10]

Polymeric nano-particles are a competing technology to lipidic (based mainly on Phospholipids) nano-particles. There is an additional risk of toxicity associated with polymers not widely studied or understood. The major advantages of polymers is stability, lower cost and predictable characterisation. However, in the patient's body this very stability (slow degradation) is a negative factor. Phospholipids on the other hand are membrane lipids (already present in the body and surrounding each cell), have a GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) status from FDA and are derived from natural sources without any complex chemistry involved. They are not metabolised but rather absorbed by the body and the degradation products are themselves nutrients (fats or micronutrients).[citation needed]

Protein and peptides exert multiple biological actions in the human body and they have been identified as showing great promise for treatment of various diseases and disorders. These macromolecules are called biopharmaceuticals. Targeted and/or controlled delivery of these biopharmaceuticals using nanomaterials like nanoparticles and Dendrimers is an emerging field called nanobiopharmaceutics, and these products are called nanobiopharmaceuticals.[citation needed]

Another highly efficient system for microRNA delivery for example are nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly of two different microRNAs deregulated in cancer.[27]

Another vision is based on small electromechanical systems; nanoelectromechanical systems are being investigated for the active release of drugs. Some potentially important applications include cancer treatment with iron nanoparticles or gold shells.Nanotechnology is also opening up new opportunities in implantable delivery systems, which are often preferable to the use of injectable drugs, because the latter frequently display first-order kinetics (the blood concentration goes up rapidly, but drops exponentially over time). This rapid rise may cause difficulties with toxicity, and drug efficacy can diminish as the drug concentration falls below the targeted range.[citation needed]

Some nanotechnology-based drugs that are commercially available or in human clinical trials include:

Existing and potential drug nanocarriers have been reviewed.[38][39][40][41]

Nanoparticles have high surface area to volume ratio. This allows for many functional groups to be attached to a nanoparticle, which can seek out and bind to certain tumor cells. Additionally, the small size of nanoparticles (10 to 100 nanometers), allows them to preferentially accumulate at tumor sites (because tumors lack an effective lymphatic drainage system).[42] Limitations to conventional cancer chemotherapy include drug resistance, lack of selectivity, and lack of solubility. Nanoparticles have the potential to overcome these problems.[43]

In photodynamic therapy, a particle is placed within the body and is illuminated with light from the outside. The light gets absorbed by the particle and if the particle is metal, energy from the light will heat the particle and surrounding tissue. Light may also be used to produce high energy oxygen molecules which will chemically react with and destroy most organic molecules that are next to them (like tumors). This therapy is appealing for many reasons. It does not leave a "toxic trail" of reactive molecules throughout the body (chemotherapy) because it is directed where only the light is shined and the particles exist. Photodynamic therapy has potential for a noninvasive procedure for dealing with diseases, growth and tumors. Kanzius RF therapy is one example of such therapy (nanoparticle hyperthermia) .[citation needed] Also, gold nanoparticles have the potential to join numerous therapeutic functions into a single platform, by targeting specific tumor cells, tissues and organs.[44][45]

In vivo imaging is another area where tools and devices are being developed. Using nanoparticle contrast agents, images such as ultrasound and MRI have a favorable distribution and improved contrast. This might be accomplished by self assembled biocompatible nanodevices that will detect, evaluate, treat and report to the clinical doctor automatically.[citation needed]

The small size of nanoparticles endows them with properties that can be very useful in oncology, particularly in imaging. Quantum dots (nanoparticles with quantum confinement properties, such as size-tunable light emission), when used in conjunction with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), can produce exceptional images of tumor sites. Nanoparticles of cadmium selenide (quantum dots) glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. When injected, they seep into cancer tumors. The surgeon can see the glowing tumor, and use it as a guide for more accurate tumor removal.These nanoparticles are much brighter than organic dyes and only need one light source for excitation. This means that the use of fluorescent quantum dots could produce a higher contrast image and at a lower cost than today's organic dyes used as contrast media. The downside, however, is that quantum dots are usually made of quite toxic elements.[citation needed]

Tracking movement can help determine how well drugs are being distributed or how substances are metabolized. It is difficult to track a small group of cells throughout the body, so scientists used to dye the cells. These dyes needed to be excited by light of a certain wavelength in order for them to light up. While different color dyes absorb different frequencies of light, there was a need for as many light sources as cells. A way around this problem is with luminescent tags. These tags are quantum dots attached to proteins that penetrate cell membranes. The dots can be random in size, can be made of bio-inert material, and they demonstrate the nanoscale property that color is size-dependent. As a result, sizes are selected so that the frequency of light used to make a group of quantum dots fluoresce is an even multiple of the frequency required to make another group incandesce. Then both groups can be lit with a single light source. They have also found a way to insert nanoparticles[46] into the affected parts of the body so that those parts of the body will glow showing the tumor growth or shrinkage or also organ trouble.[47]

Nanotechnology-on-a-chip is one more dimension of lab-on-a-chip technology. Magnetic nanoparticles, bound to a suitable antibody, are used to label specific molecules, structures or microorganisms. Gold nanoparticles tagged with short segments of DNA can be used for detection of genetic sequence in a sample. Multicolor optical coding for biological assays has been achieved by embedding different-sized quantum dots into polymeric microbeads. Nanopore technology for analysis of nucleic acids converts strings of nucleotides directly into electronic signatures.[citation needed]

Sensor test chips containing thousands of nanowires, able to detect proteins and other biomarkers left behind by cancer cells, could enable the detection and diagnosis of cancer in the early stages from a few drops of a patient's blood.[48]Nanotechnology is helping to advance the use of arthroscopes, which are pencil-sized devices that are used in surgeries with lights and cameras so surgeons can do the surgeries with smaller incisions. The smaller the incisions the faster the healing time which is better for the patients. It is also helping to find a way to make an arthroscope smaller than a strand of hair.[49]

Research on nanoelectronics-based cancer diagnostics could lead to tests that can be done in pharmacies. The results promise to be highly accurate and the product promises to be inexpensive. They could take a very small amount of blood and detect cancer anywhere in the body in about five minutes, with a sensitivity that is a thousand times better than in a conventional laboratory test. These devices that are built with nanowires to detect cancer proteins; each nanowire detector is primed to be sensitive to a different cancer marker. The biggest advantage of the nanowire detectors is that they could test for anywhere from ten to one hundred similar medical conditions without adding cost to the testing device.[50] Nanotechnology has also helped to personalize oncology for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. It is now able to be tailored to each individuals tumor for better performance. They have found ways that they will be able to target a specific part of the body that is being affected by cancer.[51]

Magnetic micro particles are proven research instruments for the separation of cells and proteins from complex media. The technology is available under the name Magnetic-activated cell sorting or Dynabeads among others. More recently it was shown in animal models that magnetic nanoparticles can be used for the removal of various noxious compounds including toxins, pathogens, and proteins from whole blood in an extracorporeal circuit similar to dialysis.[52][53] In contrast to dialysis, which works on the principle of the size related diffusion of solutes and ultrafiltration of fluid across a semi-permeable membrane, the purification with nanoparticles allows specific targeting of substances. Additionally larger compounds which are commonly not dialyzable can be removed.[citation needed]

The purification process is based on functionalized iron oxide or carbon coated metal nanoparticles with ferromagnetic or superparamagnetic properties.[54] Binding agents such as proteins,[53]antibodies,[52]antibiotics,[55] or synthetic ligands[56] are covalently linked to the particle surface. These binding agents are able to interact with target species forming an agglomerate. Applying an external magnetic field gradient allows exerting a force on the nanoparticles. Hence the particles can be separated from the bulk fluid, thereby cleaning it from the contaminants.[57][58]

The small size (< 100nm) and large surface area of functionalized nanomagnets leads to advantageous properties compared to hemoperfusion, which is a clinically used technique for the purification of blood and is based on surface adsorption. These advantages are high loading and accessibility of the binding agents, high selectivity towards the target compound, fast diffusion, small hydrodynamic resistance, and low dosage.[59]

This approach offers new therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of systemic infections such as sepsis by directly removing the pathogen. It can also be used to selectively remove cytokines or endotoxins[55] or for the dialysis of compounds which are not accessible by traditional dialysis methods. However the technology is still in a preclinical phase and first clinical trials are not expected before 2017.[60]

Nanotechnology may be used as part of tissue engineering to help reproduce or repair or reshape damaged tissue using suitable nanomaterial-based scaffolds and growth factors. Tissue engineering if successful may replace conventional treatments like organ transplants or artificial implants. Nanoparticles such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide are being used as reinforcing agents to fabricate mechanically strong biodegradable polymeric nanocomposites for bone tissue engineering applications. The addition of these nanoparticles in the polymer matrix at low concentrations (~0.2 weight%) leads to significant improvements in the compressive and flexural mechanical properties of polymeric nanocomposites.[61][62] Potentially, these nanocomposites may be used as a novel, mechanically strong, light weight composite as bone implants.[citation needed]

For example, a flesh welder was demonstrated to fuse two pieces of chicken meat into a single piece using a suspension of gold-coated nanoshells activated by an infrared laser. This could be used to weld arteries during surgery.[63] Another example is nanonephrology, the use of nanomedicine on the kidney.

Neuro-electronic interfacing is a visionary goal dealing with the construction of nanodevices that will permit computers to be joined and linked to the nervous system. This idea requires the building of a molecular structure that will permit control and detection of nerve impulses by an external computer. A refuelable strategy implies energy is refilled continuously or periodically with external sonic, chemical, tethered, magnetic, or biological electrical sources, while a nonrefuelable strategy implies that all power is drawn from internal energy storage which would stop when all energy is drained. A nanoscale enzymatic biofuel cell for self-powered nanodevices have been developed that uses glucose from biofluids including human blood and watermelons.[64] One limitation to this innovation is the fact that electrical interference or leakage or overheating from power consumption is possible. The wiring of the structure is extremely difficult because they must be positioned precisely in the nervous system. The structures that will provide the interface must also be compatible with the body's immune system.[65]

Molecular nanotechnology is a speculative subfield of nanotechnology regarding the possibility of engineering molecular assemblers, machines which could re-order matter at a molecular or atomic scale. Nanomedicine would make use of these nanorobots, introduced into the body, to repair or detect damages and infections. Molecular nanotechnology is highly theoretical, seeking to anticipate what inventions nanotechnology might yield and to propose an agenda for future inquiry. The proposed elements of molecular nanotechnology, such as molecular assemblers and nanorobots are far beyond current capabilities.[1][65][66][67] Future advances in nanomedicine could give rise to life extension through the repair of many processes thought to be responsible for aging. K. Eric Drexler, one of the founders of nanotechnology, postulated cell repair machines, including ones operating within cells and utilizing as yet hypothetical molecular machines, in his 1986 book Engines of Creation, with the first technical discussion of medical nanorobots by Robert Freitas appearing in 1999.[1]Raymond Kurzweil, a futurist and transhumanist, stated in his book The Singularity Is Near that he believes that advanced medical nanorobotics could completely remedy the effects of aging by 2030.[68] According to Richard Feynman, it was his former graduate student and collaborator Albert Hibbs who originally suggested to him (circa 1959) the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical micromachines (see nanotechnology). Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced in size to the point that it would, in theory, be possible to (as Feynman put it) "swallow the doctor". The idea was incorporated into Feynman's 1959 essay There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom.[69]

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Nanomedicine - Wikipedia

Nanomedicine Overview

What if doctors had tiny tools that could search out and destroy the very first cancer cells of a tumor developing in the body? What if a cell's broken part could be removed and replaced with a functioning miniature biological machine? Or what if molecule-sized pumps could be implanted in sick people to deliver life-saving medicines precisely where they are needed? These scenarios may sound unbelievable, but they are the ultimate goals of nanomedicine, a cutting-edge area of biomedical research that seeks to use nanotechnology tools to improve human health.

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A lot of things are small in today's high-tech world of biomedical tools and therapies. But when it comes to nanomedicine, researchers are talking very, very small. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, too small even to be seen with a conventional lab microscope.

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Nanotechnology is the broad scientific field that encompasses nanomedicine. It involves the creation and use of materials and devices at the level of molecules and atoms, which are the parts of matter that combine to make molecules. Non-medical applications of nanotechnology now under development include tiny semiconductor chips made out of strings of single molecules and miniature computers made out of DNA, the material of our genes. Federally supported research in this area, conducted under the rubric of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, is ongoing with coordinated support from several agencies.

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For hundreds of years, microscopes have offered scientists a window inside cells. Researchers have used ever more powerful visualization tools to extensively categorize the parts and sub-parts of cells in vivid detail. Yet, what scientists have not been able to do is to exhaustively inventory cells, cell parts, and molecules within cell parts to answer questions such as, "How many?" "How big?" and "How fast?" Obtaining thorough, reliable measures of quantity is the vital first step of nanomedicine.

As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund [nihroadmap.nih.gov], the NIH [nih.gov] has established a handful of nanomedicine centers. These centers are staffed by a highly interdisciplinary scientific crew, including biologists, physicians, mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists. Research conducted over the first few years was spent gathering extensive information about how molecular machines are built.

Once researchers had catalogued the interactions between and within molecules, they turned toward using that information to manipulate those molecular machines to treat specific diseases. For example, one center is trying to return at least limited vision to people who have lost their sight. Others are trying to develop treatments for severe neurological disorders, cancer, and a serious blood disorder.

The availability of innovative, body-friendly nanotools that depend on precise knowledge of how the body's molecular machines work, will help scientists figure out how to build synthetic biological and biochemical devices that can help the cells in our bodies work the way they were meant to, returning the body to a healthier state.

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Last Updated: January 22, 2014

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Nanomedicine Fact Sheet - National Human Genome Research ...

Nanotechnology involves manipulating properties and structures at the nanoscale, often involving dimensions that are just tiny fractions of the width of a human hair. Nanotechnology is already being used in products in its passive form, such as cosmetics and sunscreens, and it is expected that in the coming decades, new phases of products, such as better batteries and improved electronics equipment, will be developed and have far-reaching implications.

One area of nanotechnology application that holds the promise of providing great benefits for society in the future is in the realm of medicine. Nanotechnology is already being used as the basis for new, more effective drug delivery systems and is in early stage development as scaffolding in nerve regeneration research. Moreover, the National Cancer Institute has created the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer in the hope that investments in this branch of nanomedicine could lead to breakthroughs in terms of detecting, diagnosing, and treating various forms of cancer.

Nanotechnology medical developments over the coming years will have a wide variety of uses and could potentially save a great number of lives. Nanotechnology is already moving from being used in passive structures to active structures, through more targeted drug therapies or smart drugs. These new drug therapies have already been shown to cause fewer side effects and be more effective than traditional therapies. In the future, nanotechnology will also aid in the formation of molecular systems that may be strikingly similar to living systems. These molecular structures could be the basis for the regeneration or replacement of body parts that are currently lost to infection, accident, or disease. These predictions for the future have great significance not only in encouraging nanotechnology research and development but also in determining a means of oversight. The number of products approaching the FDA approval and review process is likely to grow as time moves forward and as new nanotechnology medical applications are developed.

To better understand current and future applications of nanotechnology in various fields of medicine, the project has developed two web-based resources that track medical developments focused on cancer and drug delivery systems.

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Nanotechnology and Medicine / Nanotechnology Medical ...

Nanomedicine - a 'Fantastic Voyage'?

Many of us will remember the miniature submarine in which Rachel Welch travelled through the human body to zap a bloodclot in the film Fantastic Voyage. Some will be disappointed to know that this is not going to be possible and will never happen. But the good news is that nanotechnology may be able to help do the job of targeting and zapping diseases in our body much better than the Proteus ever could, and without the risk of becoming submarine-sized halfway to finishing the job!

Some of the more exciting developments which may be enabled, or made cheaper and more accessible by nano may also give rise to some social and ethical issues. How much do we really want to know now about what diseases we may get in the future? What are the implications of enhancing our minds or bodies to make us smarter or live longer?

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Nanotechnologies may have the greatest impact in the medical and healthcare fields. There are some nano-enabled uses at the moment, with others not so far away. However many of the much talked about applications - creating artificial body parts or remotely diagnosing and delivering drugs may be a long way off, or may not even be possible.

The most notable changes will come from improvements in diagnosing illnesses more easily and treating them by better targeting of drugs. It will also make existing medical applications much cheaper and easier to use in different settings like GP surgeries and homes.

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Nano & Me - Nano Products - Nano in Medicine

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ARTICLE IN PRESS - Nanomedicine

Nanomedicine Overview

What if doctors had tiny tools that could search out and destroy the very first cancer cells of a tumor developing in the body? What if a cell's broken part could be removed and replaced with a functioning miniature biological machine? Or what if molecule-sized pumps could be implanted in sick people to deliver life-saving medicines precisely where they are needed? These scenarios may sound unbelievable, but they are the ultimate goals of nanomedicine, a cutting-edge area of biomedical research that seeks to use nanotechnology tools to improve human health.

Top of page

A lot of things are small in today's high-tech world of biomedical tools and therapies. But when it comes to nanomedicine, researchers are talking very, very small. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, too small even to be seen with a conventional lab microscope.

Top of page

Nanotechnology is the broad scientific field that encompasses nanomedicine. It involves the creation and use of materials and devices at the level of molecules and atoms, which are the parts of matter that combine to make molecules. Non-medical applications of nanotechnology now under development include tiny semiconductor chips made out of strings of single molecules and miniature computers made out of DNA, the material of our genes. Federally supported research in this area, conducted under the rubric of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, is ongoing with coordinated support from several agencies.

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For hundreds of years, microscopes have offered scientists a window inside cells. Researchers have used ever more powerful visualization tools to extensively categorize the parts and sub-parts of cells in vivid detail. Yet, what scientists have not been able to do is to exhaustively inventory cells, cell parts, and molecules within cell parts to answer questions such as, "How many?" "How big?" and "How fast?" Obtaining thorough, reliable measures of quantity is the vital first step of nanomedicine.

As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund [nihroadmap.nih.gov], the NIH [nih.gov] has established a handful of nanomedicine centers. These centers are staffed by a highly interdisciplinary scientific crew, including biologists, physicians, mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists. Research conducted over the first few years was spent gathering extensive information about how molecular machines are built.

Once researchers had catalogued the interactions between and within molecules, they turned toward using that information to manipulate those molecular machines to treat specific diseases. For example, one center is trying to return at least limited vision to people who have lost their sight. Others are trying to develop treatments for severe neurological disorders, cancer, and a serious blood disorder.

The availability of innovative, body-friendly nanotools that depend on precise knowledge of how the body's molecular machines work, will help scientists figure out how to build synthetic biological and biochemical devices that can help the cells in our bodies work the way they were meant to, returning the body to a healthier state.

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Last Updated: January 22, 2014

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Nanomedicine Fact Sheet

CLINAM 9 / 2016 Conference and Exhibition

European & Global Summit for Cutting-Edge Medicine

June 26 29, 2016

Clinical Nanomedicine and Targeted Medicine

Enabling Technologies for Personalized Medicine

Conference Venue: Congress Center, Messeplatz 21, 4058 Basel, Switzerland, Phone +41 58 206 28 28, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Organizers Office:CLINAMFoundation, Alemannengasse 12, P.B. 4016 Basel Phone +41 61 695 93 95, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Scientific Committee

Prof. Dr.med.PatrickHunziker, University Hospital Basel (CH) (Chairman)

Prof. Dr.med. ChristophAlexiou, UniversityHospitalErlangen(D)

Prof. Dr. Lajos Balogh, Editor-in-Chief Nanomedicine,Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine, Elsevier and Member of the Executive Board, American Society for Nanomedicine, Boston (USA)

Prof. Dr. GerdBinnig, Nobel Laureate, Munich(D)

Prof. Dr. Yechezkel Barenholz, HebrewUniversity, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem(IL)

Prof. Dr. med. Omid Farokhzad, Associate Professor and Director of Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital; Founder of BIND Therapeutics, Biosciences and Blend Therapeutics, Cambridge, Boston (USA)

Prof. Dr. med. Dong Soo Lee, PhD. Chairman Department of Nuclear Medicine Seoul National University Seoul, (KOR)

Dr. med. h.c. Beat Lffler, MA, European Foundation for Clinical Nanomedicine, Basel (CH)

Prof. Dr. Jan Mollenhauer, Lundbeckfonden Centerof Excellence NanoCAN, Universityof Southern Denmark, Odense (DK)

Prof. Dr. med. Marisa Papaluca Amati, European Medicines Agency, London (UK).

Prof. Dr. GertStorm, Institutefor Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, (NL)

Prof. Dr. Viola Vogel, Laboratory for Biologically Oriented Materials, ETH, Zrich (CH)

In the previous eight years, the CLINAM Summit grew to the largest in its field with 12 presenting Noble Laureates and more than 500 participants from academia, industry, regulatory authorities and policy from over 40 different countries in Europe and worldwide. With this success and broad support by well beyond 20 renowned collaborating initiatives, the CLINAM-Summit is today one of the most important marketplaces for scientific exchange and discussions of regulatory, political and ethical aspects in this field of cutting-edge medicine.

In particular, the CLINAM Summit emerged as exquisite forum for translation from bench to bedside for European and international networking, for industrial collaboration between companies, with academia, and as point-of-contact with customers. The summit is presently the only place to meet the regulatory authorities from all continents to debate the needs of all stakeholders in the field with the legislators.

CLINAM 9/2016 continues with its successful tradition to cover the manifold interdisciplinary fields of Clinical and Targeted Nanomedicine in major and neglected diseases. As special focus area, CLINAM 09/2016 adds translation and enabling technologies, including, for example, cutting-edge molecular profiling, nano-scale analytics, single cell analysis, stem cell technologies, tissue engineering, in and ex vivo systems as well as in vitro substitute systems for efficacy and toxicity testing.

CLINAM 09/2016 covers the entire interdisciplinary spectrum of Nanomedicine and Targeted Medicine from new materials with potential medical applications and enabling technologies over diagnostic and therapeutic translation to clinical applications in infectious, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as diabetes, cancer and regenerative medicine to societal implications, strategical issues, and regulatory affairs. The conference is sub-divided into three different tracks running in parallel and provides ample possibilities for exhibitors as indicated by steadily increasing requests.

Track 1: Clinical and Targeted Nanomedicine Basic Research Disease Mechanisms and Personalized Medicine Regenerative Medicine Novel Therapeutic and Diagnostic Approaches Active and Passive Targeting Targeted Delivery (antibodies, affibodies, aptamers, and nano drug delivery devices) Accurin Technology Nano-Toxicology

Track 2: Clinical and Targeted Nanomedicine: Translation Unsolved Medical Problems Personalized Medicine and Theranostic Approaches Regenerative Medicine Advanced Breaking and Ongoing Clinical Trials Applied Nanomedical Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Track 3: Enabling Technologies Nanomaterial Analytics and Testing Molecular Profiling for Research and Efficacy/Toxicology Testing (Genomics, Proteomics, Glycomics, Lipidomics, Metabolomics) Functional Testing Assays and Platforms Single Cell Analyses Cell Tracking Stem Cell Biology and Engineering Technologies Microfluidics Tissue Engineering Tissues-on-a-Chip-Bioprinting In vivo Testing Novel Imaging Approaches Medical Devices

Track 4: Regulatory, Societal Affairs and Networking Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine Strategy and Policy The Patients` Perspective Ethical Issues in Nanomedicine University Village Cutting-Edge EU-Project Presentations Networking for International Consortium Formation Regulatory Authorities Sessions

Based on last years exhibition it is expected to have about 30 Exhibitors at this Summit. Exhibitors can profit of the possibility to meet their target visitors on 1 single spot in Basel at CLINAM 9 / 2016. With its concept for the exhibition, the international CLINAM Summit becomes also the place for the pulse of the market and early sales in the field of cutting-edge medicine.

Deadline April 25, 2016 for oral Presentations Deadline for Poster Only Submission is May 15, 2016. Later submitted Posters can still be accepted but will not be included in the Summit-Proceedings. (See instruction in Folder on Page 25).

For full programme download the PDF Folder

Registration Fees (For Exhibition Pricing Look Folder, Page 25)

The European Foundation for Clinical Nanomedicine is a non-profit institution aiming at advancing medicine to the benefit of individuals and society through the application of nanoscience. Aiming at prevention, diagnosis, and therapy through nanomedicine as well as at exploration of its implications, the Foundation reaches its goals through support of clinically focussed research and of interaction and information flow between clinicians, researchers, the public, and other stakeholders. The recognition of the large future impact of nanoscience on medicine and the observed rapid advance of medical applications of nanoscience have been the main reasons for the creation of the Foundation.

Nanotechnology is generally considered as the key technology of the 21st century. It is an interdisciplinary scientific field focusing on methods, materials, and tools on the nanometer scale, i.e. one millionth of a millimeter. The application of this science to medicine seeks to benefit patients by providing prevention, early diagnosis, and effective treatment for prevalent, for disabling, and for currently incurable medical conditions.

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CLINAM - The Conference at a Glance

GDA 2014 Honoree: Dr. Omid Farokhzad Wall Street Journal Interview Cellular Surgeons: New Era of Nanomedicine New York Academy of Sciences Event ecancertv: Polymeric Nanoparticles for Medical Applications Our Research

Nanotechnology has generated a significant impact in nearly every aspect of science. Our research seeks novel nanomaterials and nanotechnologies in order to develop advanced drug delivery systems with the promise to improve health care. Highly interdisciplinary and translational, our research is focused on multifunctional, nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. We seek to improve nanoparticle synthesis and formulation and its therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, we develop robust engineering processes to accelerate translation of nanoparticle-based drugs into the drug development pipeline. At the same time, we emphasize a fundamental understanding of the interface between nanomaterials and biological systems. Read our recent reviews below:

See below for some of our selected research articles. Click on images for more detail:

Transepithelial transport of fc-targeted nanoparticles by the neonatal fc receptor for oral delivery:

A study on the immunocompatibility properties of lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles with heterogeneous surface functional groups:

Engineering of targeted nanoparticles for cancer therapy using internalizing aptamers isolated by cell-uptake selection:

Synthesis of Size-Tunable Polymeric Nanoparticles Enabled by 3D Hydrodynamic Flow Focusing in Single-Layer Microchannels:

Effects of ligands with different water solubilities on self-assembly and properties of targeted nanoparticles:

Development of poly(ethylene glycol) with observable shedding:

Congratulations to Nazila Kamaly for her appointment as an Associate Professor at Technical University of Denmark (01/01/16)

Congratulations to Jun Wu for his appointment as a Professor at Sun Yat-sen University, China (01/01/16)

Congratulations to Christian Vilos for securing the Chilean Grant (Fondecyt)! (01/30/16)

Congratulations to Naomi Morales-Medina for securing an undergraduate National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) Fellowship for minorities in STEM fields! (10/19/15)

Congratulations to Christian Vilos for his promotion to Associate Professor at Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Science (CIMIS) in Faculty of Medicine in Andres Bello University! (09/10/15)

Congratulations to Won Il Choi for securing a Senior Researcher position at the Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology! (09/10/15)

Congratulations to Jining Huang for getting admission in the Bioengineering PhD Program at Caltech. (03/24/15)

Welcome Dr. Sejin Son to join our team! (10/31/14)

Welcome Dr. Dmitry Shvartsman to join our team! (09/19/14)

Welcome Dr. Harshal Zope to join our team! (06/15/14)

Welcome Dr Yanlan Liu, Dr. Xiaoding Xu and Dr. Arif Islam to join our team! (03/12/14)

Welcome Dr. Basit Yameen to join our team! (09/09/2013)

Congratulations to Dr. Archana Swami for her poster prize at the MIT Polymer Day Symposium! (05/02/2013)

Welcome Dr. Mikyung Yu, Dr. In-hyun Lee, Dr. Won IL Choi, Dr. Renata Leito and Dr. Cristian Vilos to join our team! (05/02/2013)

Congratulations to Dr. Archana Swami for receiving an 'Outstanding Paper' award from the ASME at NEMB2013! (31/01/2013)

Welcome Dr. Giuseppe Palmisano to join our team! (04/01/12)

Congratulations to Steffi Sunny for securing a PhD position on the Applied Science and Engineering PhD program at Harvard University! (04/01/12)

Congratulations to Shrey Sindhwani for securing a Physician Scientist Training Program (MD-PhD) position at the University of Toronto! (04/01/12)

Congratulations to Dr. Xiaoyang Xu on the award of his National Cancer Institute funded Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Post-doctoral Fellowship! (01/03/2012)

Congratulations to Dr. Jinjun Shi on the award of his National Cancer Institute K99/R00 Career Award! (11/30/2011)

Congratulations to Dr. Jinjun Shi for his BWH Biomedical Research Institute award! (11/10/2011)

Welcome Dr. Nazila Kamaly to join our team! (01/25/2011)

Welcome Dr. Jun Wu, Dr. Xueqing Zhang and Changwei Ji to join our team! (11/15/2010)

Welcome Dr. Suresh Gadde to join our team! (12/15/2009)

Welcome Dr. Xiaoyang Xu to join our team! (10/19/09)

Welcome Dr. Archana Mukherjee to join our team! (08/19/09)

Immunocompatibility properties of lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles with heterogeneous surface functional groups, Salvador-Morales C, Zhang L, Langer et al, Biomaterials, 30 (2009) 2231.

Engineering of targeted nanoparticles for cancer therapy using internalizing aptamers isolated by cell-uptake selection, Xiao Z, Levy-Nissenbaum E, Alexis F et al, ACS Nano, 6 (2012) 696.

Synthesis of size-tunable polymeric nanoparticles enabled by 3D hydrodynamic flow focusing in single-layer microchannels., Rhee M, Valencia M, Rodriguez MI et al, Advanced Materials, 23 (2011) H79.

Effects of ligands with different water solubilities on self-assembly and properties of targeted nanoparticles, Valencia PM, Hanewich-Hollatz MH, Gao W et al, Biomaterials, 23 (2011) 6226.

Poly (ethylene glycol) with Observabel Shedding, Valencia PM, Hanewich-Hollatz MH, Gao W et al, , 23 (2010) 6567.

Preclinical Development and Clinical Translation of a PSMA-Targeted Docetaxel Nanoparticle with a Differentiated Pharmacological Profile, Hrkach J, Von Hoff D, Ali MM et al, Science Translational Medicine, 4 (2012) 128ra39.

Targeted polymeric therapeutic nanoparticles: design, development and clinical translation, N Kamaly, Z Xiao, P Valencia et alChem. Soc. Rev, 41 (2012) 2971.

Precise engineering of targeted nanoparticles by using self-assembled biointegrated block copolymers, F. Gu, L. Zhang, B. A. Teply et alPNAS, 105 (2008) 2586.

Quantum dot-aptamer conjugates for synchronous cancer imaging, therapy, and sensing of drug delivery based on bi-fluorescence resonance energy transfer, V Bagalkot, L Zhang, E Levy-Nissenbaum et alNano Lett., 7 (2007) 3065.

Targeted nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates for cancer chemotherapy in vivo, O. Farokhzad, J. Cheng, B. A. Teply, et al PNAS, 103 (2006) 6315.

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Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials

Nanomedicine Overview

What if doctors had tiny tools that could search out and destroy the very first cancer cells of a tumor developing in the body? What if a cell's broken part could be removed and replaced with a functioning miniature biological machine? Or what if molecule-sized pumps could be implanted in sick people to deliver life-saving medicines precisely where they are needed? These scenarios may sound unbelievable, but they are the ultimate goals of nanomedicine, a cutting-edge area of biomedical research that seeks to use nanotechnology tools to improve human health.

Top of page

A lot of things are small in today's high-tech world of biomedical tools and therapies. But when it comes to nanomedicine, researchers are talking very, very small. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, too small even to be seen with a conventional lab microscope.

Top of page

Nanotechnology is the broad scientific field that encompasses nanomedicine. It involves the creation and use of materials and devices at the level of molecules and atoms, which are the parts of matter that combine to make molecules. Non-medical applications of nanotechnology now under development include tiny semiconductor chips made out of strings of single molecules and miniature computers made out of DNA, the material of our genes. Federally supported research in this area, conducted under the rubric of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, is ongoing with coordinated support from several agencies.

Top of page

For hundreds of years, microscopes have offered scientists a window inside cells. Researchers have used ever more powerful visualization tools to extensively categorize the parts and sub-parts of cells in vivid detail. Yet, what scientists have not been able to do is to exhaustively inventory cells, cell parts, and molecules within cell parts to answer questions such as, "How many?" "How big?" and "How fast?" Obtaining thorough, reliable measures of quantity is the vital first step of nanomedicine.

As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund [nihroadmap.nih.gov], the NIH [nih.gov] has established a handful of nanomedicine centers. These centers are staffed by a highly interdisciplinary scientific crew, including biologists, physicians, mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists. Research conducted over the first few years was spent gathering extensive information about how molecular machines are built.

Once researchers had catalogued the interactions between and within molecules, they turned toward using that information to manipulate those molecular machines to treat specific diseases. For example, one center is trying to return at least limited vision to people who have lost their sight. Others are trying to develop treatments for severe neurological disorders, cancer, and a serious blood disorder.

The availability of innovative, body-friendly nanotools that depend on precise knowledge of how the body's molecular machines work, will help scientists figure out how to build synthetic biological and biochemical devices that can help the cells in our bodies work the way they were meant to, returning the body to a healthier state.

Top of page

Last Updated: January 22, 2014

View post:
Nanomedicine Fact Sheet - Genome.gov

Nanomedicine Overview

What if doctors had tiny tools that could search out and destroy the very first cancer cells of a tumor developing in the body? What if a cell's broken part could be removed and replaced with a functioning miniature biological machine? Or what if molecule-sized pumps could be implanted in sick people to deliver life-saving medicines precisely where they are needed? These scenarios may sound unbelievable, but they are the ultimate goals of nanomedicine, a cutting-edge area of biomedical research that seeks to use nanotechnology tools to improve human health.

Top of page

A lot of things are small in today's high-tech world of biomedical tools and therapies. But when it comes to nanomedicine, researchers are talking very, very small. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, too small even to be seen with a conventional lab microscope.

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Nanotechnology is the broad scientific field that encompasses nanomedicine. It involves the creation and use of materials and devices at the level of molecules and atoms, which are the parts of matter that combine to make molecules. Non-medical applications of nanotechnology now under development include tiny semiconductor chips made out of strings of single molecules and miniature computers made out of DNA, the material of our genes. Federally supported research in this area, conducted under the rubric of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, is ongoing with coordinated support from several agencies.

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For hundreds of years, microscopes have offered scientists a window inside cells. Researchers have used ever more powerful visualization tools to extensively categorize the parts and sub-parts of cells in vivid detail. Yet, what scientists have not been able to do is to exhaustively inventory cells, cell parts, and molecules within cell parts to answer questions such as, "How many?" "How big?" and "How fast?" Obtaining thorough, reliable measures of quantity is the vital first step of nanomedicine.

As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund [nihroadmap.nih.gov], the NIH [nih.gov] has established a handful of nanomedicine centers. These centers are staffed by a highly interdisciplinary scientific crew, including biologists, physicians, mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists. Research conducted over the first few years was spent gathering extensive information about how molecular machines are built.

Once researchers had catalogued the interactions between and within molecules, they turned toward using that information to manipulate those molecular machines to treat specific diseases. For example, one center is trying to return at least limited vision to people who have lost their sight. Others are trying to develop treatments for severe neurological disorders, cancer, and a serious blood disorder.

The availability of innovative, body-friendly nanotools that depend on precise knowledge of how the body's molecular machines work, will help scientists figure out how to build synthetic biological and biochemical devices that can help the cells in our bodies work the way they were meant to, returning the body to a healthier state.

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Last Updated: January 22, 2014

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NIH National Human Genome Research Institute