Nanomedicine is the application of nanotechnology to health care. Nanotechnology is the use of materials on a nano scale, which cannot be seen by a standard lab microscope. One nanometer is one millionth of a meter. This is thousands of times smaller that the diameter of an average human hair.
Nature contains many nanoparticles. They can be made by people from carbon or silver. Nanomaterials, also known as nanomaterials, are substances that humans have created on a nanoscale.
Scientists are developing nanomedicine materials and devices to work with the body on an atomic or molecular level. This can produce very targeted, specific results. It also has the potential to reduce side effects.
What is Nanomedicine?
Imagine nanomedicine as a tiny tool inside your body. Scientists engineer and manipulate atoms and molecular structures to make them precise and small. Nanomedicine, for example, can deliver drugs in a targeted manner to your body because it works on a tiny scale.
Nanomedicine Types
Nanomedicine is still in its infancy. Scientists believe that it will have many medical applications in the future. Nanomaterials are used in medicine for:
Diagnosis. The use of nanoparticles can enhance existing technologies such as Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and produce images that are much more clear.
Treatment. Nanoparticles can deliver drugs to the exact location where they are needed. Nanoparticles can be used in vaccines to stimulate your immunity into making antibodies against a particular virus. Scientists also study the possibility of personalized treatments tailored to you genes.
Regenerative Medicine. Carbon nanotubes, or molecules called that are used to repair damaged tissue. They might even be able in the future to regrow nerves.
Theranostics, a type of experimental nanomedicine that combines both diagnosis and treatment, is a hybrid.
What are some examples of nanomedicine?
Nanomedicine can be used in a variety of ways.
COVID-19 Vaccines. The nanoparticles in two COVID vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna are key. These vaccines use messenger-RNA (mRNA), which helps you develop immunity against the COVID-19. But mRNA breaks down quickly. It needs to be carried through the body before it breaks down. Scientists put it in nanoparticles that deliver it to immune cells. Then it can start working.
Cancer treatment Chemotherapy is a cancer-fighting drug that is delivered to your whole body. You may experience nausea and side effects such as hair loss. The doctors can use nanomedicine to target your cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy cells.
MRIs. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) creates detailed images of organs and tissues using radio waves and magnet fields. Patients may receive a “contrast material” through their IV. The images are more detailed. Fluorescent nanoparticles are more effective than contrast agents. They may make MRIs cheaper in the future because they are less expensive and simpler to use.
Medical Devices. Scientists are hoping that nanotechnology will enable them to create more sophisticated versions implanted medical devices such as defibrillators pacemakers and stents. These devices, which have tiny sensors and chips, could transmit data and alerts, release medicine, or let your doctor monitor you remotely.
Biomarker Detection. The biomarkers tell you what is happening in your cells or body at any given time. They can serve as warning signs of disease. High cholesterol, for example, is a biomarker of heart disease. Biomarkers are found by doctors through tissue, urine, and blood tests. Biomarkers are also found in the individual cells and proteins of your body. Biomarkers are detected more accurately by nanoparticles, which can give doctors more precise measurements. As a result, they may be able diagnose illnesses sooner.
What conditions could nanomedicine be used for?
Nanomedicine can also be used to treat these other conditions, in addition to cancer:
Neurological diseases. The brain is protected by a layer of cells which keeps out larger molecules. The blood-brain (BBB) barrier is what causes problems when drugs are needed to reach your brain. The BBB can be crossed by nanoparticles because of their small size. This treatment offers promise in treating tumors of the brain and stroke as well as Alzheimer’s disease, meningitis, and other diseases.
Eye Problems. You also have barriers that protect your eyes from foreign substances. These defenses can make it hard for drugs to reach the target. This problem is common for eye medicine delivered by drops, injections and oral medications. Nanomedicine uses nanoparticles to deliver drugs directly to the eye. It also offers special coatings for contact lenses and implants. Nanomedicine is used to treat conjunctivitis, cataracts, corneal injuries, macular degradation, and eye glaucoma.
Infections. Nanomedicine is able to detect bacterial infection and deliver antibiotics on a targeted basis. Nanomaterials can be used to coat medical devices such as catheters and valves in order to repel bacteria. This helps prevent infection.
Menopause. Hormone replacement therapy may relieve certain symptoms. These hormones can be delivered through the skin, which is a more effective way to deliver them than by mouth. The side effects of the hormones delivered by nanoparticles are less severe.
Blood Disorders . Condition such as leukemia and lymphoma are treated by chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and stem cell therapy. Researchers are focusing on nanomedicine in order to create artificial blood components that could replace some of the functions disrupted by blood diseases.
Spinal Cord Injury. This type of injury sets off a series of events that cause further nerve damage. Your spinal cord also has a protective layer of cells. To get the steroid through this barrier, doctors have used high doses. This drug, however, can cause serious side effects when taken in high doses and breaks down very quickly. Nanoparticles are able to cross the barrier and deliver drugs to where they need them. They can also stay longer in your body. Nanomaterials could also help your body heal nerve damage by blocking substances that slow down growth and limiting scarring. Doctors hope to eventually use nanomaterials to create “scaffolds”, which will guide the growth and development of new nerve tissue.
Targeted drug delivery
The nanoparticles are also used to deliver drugs, which allows them to target specific cells or tissues. This targeted approach reduces side effects and increases the therapeutic efficacy, particularly for intravenous injections.
For example, lipid-based nanoparticles are capable of delivering drugs that have anti-inflammatory properties to inflamed tissue, reducing systemic side effects. Nanomaterials can also be combined to target cell adhesion molecules. They are also involved in cancer and chronic inflammation.
The nanomedicine in drug delivery system is widely used is the polyethylene glycol-coated nanocarrier. These increase the stability and time for drugs to circulate in the body. PEG nanoparticles can be used to deliver chemotherapy to cancer cells. This improves the therapeutic efficacy and minimizes side effects.
Regenerative Medicine
Nanomedicine has the potential to revolutionize the regenerative medicine field, which involves the repair or replacement damaged organs or tissues. Nanoparticles are a great way to deliver stem cells or growth factors to damaged tissue, which promotes tissue regeneration.
For example, lipid nanoparticles can be used to deliver anti-inflammatory drugs and growth factors to damaged cartilage. It promotes cartilage repair in osteoarthritis patients.
Conclusion
Nanomedicine has the potential for revolutionizing healthcare. It is a rapidly developing field. Nanomedicine, by using nanoparticles can improve early diagnosis and treatment, drug delivery targeted, and regenerative medicines. This raises questions about the potential side effects of nanomaterials and their regulation. Nanomedicine, with its ongoing research and technological advancements, has the potential of transforming future disease prevention and treatments.
Sources
- https://etp-nanomedicine.eu/about-nanomedicine/what-is-nanomedicine/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1155622/full
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10179724/
