14-03-2011, 10:06 PM
Nano Technology
Sreeja S S
(Department of computer application(MCA) ,Mohandas college of Engineering and technology
Anad, Trivandrum)
[attachment=10147]
Abstract
Nanotechnology is engineering and manufacturing at the molecular scale, thereby taking advantage
of the unique properties that exist at that scale. The application of nanotechnology to medicine is called
nanomedicine.
This paper reviews the study of the different aspects of nanotechnology in curing the different types of
diseases. Nanotechnology is concerned with molecular scale properties and applications of biological nano
structures and as such it sits at the interface between the chemical, biological and the physical sciences.
Applications in the field of medicine are especially promising Areas such as disease diagnosis, drug delivery
and molecular imaging are being intensively researched. The special stress and application is given in this
paper is on the application of nanorobot in medicine.
This paper also proposes the use of nanorobot based on the nanotechnology that will be used for
replacing the exiting surgeries that involves so many risks to the patient. However, no matter how highly
trained the specialists may be, surgery can still be dangerous. So nanorobot is not only the safe but also fast
and better technique to remove the plaque deposited on the internal walls of arteries.
1. Introduction
Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems
at the molecular scale. This covers both current work
and concepts that are more advanced.
In its original sense, 'nanotechnology' refers to the
projected ability to construct items from the bottom up,
using techniques and tools being developed today to
make complete, high performance products
2. Nanotechnology in medicine
A. Drugdelivery
Nanomedical approaches to drug delivery center on
developing nanoscale particles or molecules to improve
drug bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the
presence of drug molecules where they are needed in the
body and where they will do the most good. 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. It is all about targeting the
molecules and delivering drugs with cell precision. More
than $65 billion are wasted each year due to poor
bioavailability. 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. The new methods of nanoengineered materials
that are being developed might be effective in treating
illnesses and diseases such as cancer. What
nanoscientists will be able to achieve in the future is
beyond current imagination. This might be accomplished
by self assembled biocompatible nanodevices that will
detect, evaluate, treat and report to the clinical doctor
automatically
B. Protein and peptide delivery
Protein and peptides exert multiple biological actions in
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.
Cancer
A schematic illustration showing how nanoparticles or
other cancer drugs might be used to treat cancer.
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. 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
Another nanoproperty, high surface area to volume ratio,
allows 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). A very exciting
research question is how to make these imaging
nanoparticles do more things for cancer. For instance, is
it possible to manufacture multifunctional nanoparticles
that would detect, image, and then proceed to treat a
tumor? This question is under vigorous investigation; the
answer to which could shape the future of cancer
treatment.
[11]
A promising new cancer treatment that may
one day replace radiation and chemotherapy is edging
closer to human trials. Kanzius RF therapy attaches
microscopic nanoparticles to cancer cells and then
"cooks" tumors inside the body with radio waves that
heat only the nanoparticles and the adjacent (cancerous)
cells.
Surgery
A greenish liquid containing gold-coated nanoshells is
dribbled along the seam. An infrared laser is traced
along the seam, causing the two sides to weld together.
This could solve the difficulties and blood leaks caused
when the surgeon tries to restitch the arteries that have
been cut during a kidney or heart transplant. The flesh
welder could weld the artery perfectly
Visualization
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.
Nanoparticle targeting
nanoparticles are promising tools for the advancement of
drug delivery, medical imaging, and as diagnostic
sensors. However, the biodistribution of these
nanoparticles is mostly unknown due to the difficulty in
targeting specific organs in the body. Current research in
the excretory systems of mice, however, shows the
ability of gold composites to selectively target certain
organs based on their size and charge. These composites
are encapsulated by a dendrimer and assigned a specific
charge and size. Positively-charged gold nanoparticles
were found to enter the kidneys while negatively-
charged gold nanoparticles remained in the liver and
spleen. It is suggested that the positive surface charge of
the nanoparticle decreases the rate of osponization of
nanoparticles in the liver, thus affecting the excretory
pathway. Even at a relatively small size of 5 nm ,
though, these particles can become compartmentalized
in the peripheral tissues, and will therefore accumulate
in the body over time. 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.
Sreeja S S
(Department of computer application(MCA) ,Mohandas college of Engineering and technology
Anad, Trivandrum)
[attachment=10147]
Abstract
Nanotechnology is engineering and manufacturing at the molecular scale, thereby taking advantage
of the unique properties that exist at that scale. The application of nanotechnology to medicine is called
nanomedicine.
This paper reviews the study of the different aspects of nanotechnology in curing the different types of
diseases. Nanotechnology is concerned with molecular scale properties and applications of biological nano
structures and as such it sits at the interface between the chemical, biological and the physical sciences.
Applications in the field of medicine are especially promising Areas such as disease diagnosis, drug delivery
and molecular imaging are being intensively researched. The special stress and application is given in this
paper is on the application of nanorobot in medicine.
This paper also proposes the use of nanorobot based on the nanotechnology that will be used for
replacing the exiting surgeries that involves so many risks to the patient. However, no matter how highly
trained the specialists may be, surgery can still be dangerous. So nanorobot is not only the safe but also fast
and better technique to remove the plaque deposited on the internal walls of arteries.
1. Introduction
Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems
at the molecular scale. This covers both current work
and concepts that are more advanced.
In its original sense, 'nanotechnology' refers to the
projected ability to construct items from the bottom up,
using techniques and tools being developed today to
make complete, high performance products
2. Nanotechnology in medicine
A. Drugdelivery
Nanomedical approaches to drug delivery center on
developing nanoscale particles or molecules to improve
drug bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the
presence of drug molecules where they are needed in the
body and where they will do the most good. 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. It is all about targeting the
molecules and delivering drugs with cell precision. More
than $65 billion are wasted each year due to poor
bioavailability. 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. The new methods of nanoengineered materials
that are being developed might be effective in treating
illnesses and diseases such as cancer. What
nanoscientists will be able to achieve in the future is
beyond current imagination. This might be accomplished
by self assembled biocompatible nanodevices that will
detect, evaluate, treat and report to the clinical doctor
automatically
B. Protein and peptide delivery
Protein and peptides exert multiple biological actions in
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.
Cancer
A schematic illustration showing how nanoparticles or
other cancer drugs might be used to treat cancer.
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. 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
Another nanoproperty, high surface area to volume ratio,
allows 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). A very exciting
research question is how to make these imaging
nanoparticles do more things for cancer. For instance, is
it possible to manufacture multifunctional nanoparticles
that would detect, image, and then proceed to treat a
tumor? This question is under vigorous investigation; the
answer to which could shape the future of cancer
treatment.
[11]
A promising new cancer treatment that may
one day replace radiation and chemotherapy is edging
closer to human trials. Kanzius RF therapy attaches
microscopic nanoparticles to cancer cells and then
"cooks" tumors inside the body with radio waves that
heat only the nanoparticles and the adjacent (cancerous)
cells.
Surgery
A greenish liquid containing gold-coated nanoshells is
dribbled along the seam. An infrared laser is traced
along the seam, causing the two sides to weld together.
This could solve the difficulties and blood leaks caused
when the surgeon tries to restitch the arteries that have
been cut during a kidney or heart transplant. The flesh
welder could weld the artery perfectly
Visualization
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.
Nanoparticle targeting
nanoparticles are promising tools for the advancement of
drug delivery, medical imaging, and as diagnostic
sensors. However, the biodistribution of these
nanoparticles is mostly unknown due to the difficulty in
targeting specific organs in the body. Current research in
the excretory systems of mice, however, shows the
ability of gold composites to selectively target certain
organs based on their size and charge. These composites
are encapsulated by a dendrimer and assigned a specific
charge and size. Positively-charged gold nanoparticles
were found to enter the kidneys while negatively-
charged gold nanoparticles remained in the liver and
spleen. It is suggested that the positive surface charge of
the nanoparticle decreases the rate of osponization of
nanoparticles in the liver, thus affecting the excretory
pathway. Even at a relatively small size of 5 nm ,
though, these particles can become compartmentalized
in the peripheral tissues, and will therefore accumulate
in the body over time. 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.
