Have you ever heard of nanotechnology?
If not,
let's get started from the beginning.
The Greek word,
Nanos means a dwarf.
So,
in general terms,
nanotechnology,
means technology that has to do with small things. In
science, Nano also means a billionth.
For example,
a nanometre is a billionth of a metre, to make
things more visual,
a marble is a billionth in size, when compared to
the size of the Earth.
Hence, nanotechnology is Science, Engineering and technology conducted at the nanoscale.
The ideas and concepts of nanotechnology started
in 1959,
when physicist Richard Feynman,
gave the talk:
"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom" at the California
Institute of Technology.
He described processes where scientists can manipulate individual atoms and
molecules. A decade later, through his work in ultra
precision machining, Professor
Norio Taniguchi coined the term nanotechnology.
But it wasn't until 1981
when the scanning tunnelling microscope was developed that allowed scientists
to see,
individual atoms
that nanotechnology began. Nanotechnology,
involves the ability to see and control individual atoms and
molecules. Everything around us is made up of atoms.
The food
we eat, our bodies,
the clothes we were and the air we breathe.
Hence, nanotechnology can be used in various areas of our day-to-day
lives.
For example,
the UV protection layer in our glasses is made up
of nanoscale films. Nanoscale
titanium dioxide or zinc oxide,
have been using sunscreens for years and protect us
from the sun while appearing invisible on the skin. The
uses of nanotechnology range from very basic day-to-day needs,
to major life-changing therapeutics.
We briefly describe how it's used in our day-to-day life.
So now let's take a look at some major implications
of nanotechnology in the field of medicine. When nanotechnology is
applied
in the field of medicine is often referred to as
nanomedicine, or nanotechnology-enabled medicine. Within the
field of medicine,
nanotechnology has shown promise in the areas of diagnostic and treatment
for a variety of conditions and has the potential to
be more advantageous than conventional techniques.
Let's take a closer.
look at such applications in cancer research
and Covid-19 vaccines
When it comes to imaging practices to detect cancer,
the current technologies can really only detect when a visible
change to
the tissues has occurred - at which point,
thousands of cells have already multiplied and maybe metastasized.
Additionally,
current imaging
technologies can really only identify the presence of a cancer
but identifying the characteristics of the disease,
including the nature of the tumour, requires biopsies.
These are the two shortcomings that nanotechnology
has the potential to address.
Antibodies,
which binds to receptors commonly found on cancer cells,
can be coated onto nanoparticles,
which can be detected using diagnostic imaging technologies,
such as MRI and CT scans.
Furthermore,
this concept can be applied to various molecular markers,
which means specific stages
and types of cancer could be identified using nanotechnology.
Aside from its applications in diagnosing cancers,
there are many applications for nanotechnology when it comes to
cancer treatment, one of which includes the use of nanoparticles
as Drug Delivery Systems. Conventional cancer treatment methods often include
chemotherapy, which involves the use of medications would kill the
cancer cells.
However,
there are several issues with chemotherapy. One is that it can
lead to adverse side effects,
as these medications kill
both the cancer cells and healthy cells.
Nanoparticles have the potential to more effectively target
only the cancer cells and therefore minimize the harms.
Furthermore,
the specific size of the nanoparticles,
which range from 10 to 100
nanometers allows them to be large enough to prevent vascular
leakage,
while small enough to avoid immune detection.
In other words,
the drugs,
which the nanoparticles are delivering or more likely to reach
their target cell, the cancer, and spare the healthy cells
in the body.
Finally,
one more example of the use of nanotechnology
in medicine
includes the recent covid-19
mRNA vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna.
Nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, in specific are used in both of
these vaccines to counteract two of the main challenges when
it comes to delivering
mRNA.
The first challenge posed by utilizing mRNA is that there
are many RNA degrading enzymes in the body which
could destroy the mRNA. To counteract this
both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines encapsulate the mRNA with
lipid nanoparticles as a barrier to protect the mRNA.
Additionally,
because our cells are surrounded by membranes which are negatively
charged,
it is difficult for the negatively-charged,
mRNA
to cross this barrier.
This is where nanoparticles come in hand
as they facilitate
transport of mRNA into its target cells.
These are just a few examples of the applications
and advantages of nanotechnology in medicine,
let's take a look at some of the new exciting
developments in this field
currently undergoing research.
First, nanotechnology has been considered a tool for medically assisted
reproduction.
Though assisted reproductive technology already helps with cases related to
infertility, we are still presented with challenges such as overstimulation,
multiple pregnancies and genetic disorders.
Nanotechnology can help overcome these impairments, by improving the
quality of mature oocytes, refining genetic screening and diagnosis,
and optimizing gene editing.
Recent advances in nanomedicine also have the potential to aid
the diagnosis and therapy of liver fibrosis.
Liver fibrosis is the formation of abnormally large amounts
of scar tissue in the liver. This can cause liver failure,
liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Traditional diagnostic
methods and drug therapy
have several limitations, including the lack of precision and inadequate
therapeutic efficiency. Nanomedicine enhances imaging contrast and improves
tissue penetration and cellular internalization, also called endocytosis.
Finally, nanomedicine is proving to be a powerful tool for treating
strokes. According to recent and promising developments,
nanomedicine can enhance breakdown of clots, known as thrombolysis, in
ischemic stroke, limit bleeding in hemorrhagic stroke,
reduce neuronal death, and improve the overall
diagnosis-prognosis of stroke.
Overall, not only can nanomedicine help with the diagnosis and
treatment of cancer,
but there are many other exciting developments in the field
nanomedicine.
We've seen some examples in our everyday lives, such as
with the recent covid-19 vaccines.
Ultimately, nanomedicine has the potential to provide advantageous alternatives
when compared to conventional therapy and offer personalized treatments.