Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology. It involves the use of microscopic nanomaterials for the prevention and treatment of disease in the human body. As an emerging industry, this technology is sure to transform the face of medicine, delivering new, more effective drugs, helping people struggling with debilitating diseases such as cancer and diabetes, and providing new ways to treat people quickly and efficiently with minimal risk.
The prefix nano- means 'one billionth'. Thus, a nanometre is a billionth of a metre, and nanomedicine is medicine delivered on such a microscopic scale. The idea behind nanomedicine is that small nanoparticles injected into a patient's body can assist doctors in curing a patient. For example, special nanomaterials which can be easily seen on scanners can be engineered to track and home around cancer cells, revealing the locations of tumours. Then, nanoparticles containing chemotherapy drugs can be delivered to cancer cells, killing the tumour. This is not limited to cancer patients; in the future, drugs may be delivered to damaged cells of the human body, repairing or even completely treating them.
But nanotechnology is not limited to simple artificially engineered particles and substances. Nanomedicine also overlaps with the field of nanorobotics, and microscopic robots can also help people overcome disease and disorders. To illustrate, with advanced enough technology, patients with faulty genes that cause disabilities could be cured by using the technologies to identify faulty sections of genes and removing them. Small, programmed nanorobots could be created to track DNA inside cells and make the necessary adjustments, cutting and inserting strands of DNA where needed. While this technology is still in the prototyping stage, and there are concerns over its use and impact on the environment, there is no doubt that nanomedicine will be a revolutionary addition to the toolbox of many medical institutions worldwide.
The prefix nano- means 'one billionth'. Thus, a nanometre is a billionth of a metre, and nanomedicine is medicine delivered on such a microscopic scale. The idea behind nanomedicine is that small nanoparticles injected into a patient's body can assist doctors in curing a patient. For example, special nanomaterials which can be easily seen on scanners can be engineered to track and home around cancer cells, revealing the locations of tumours. Then, nanoparticles containing chemotherapy drugs can be delivered to cancer cells, killing the tumour. This is not limited to cancer patients; in the future, drugs may be delivered to damaged cells of the human body, repairing or even completely treating them.
But nanotechnology is not limited to simple artificially engineered particles and substances. Nanomedicine also overlaps with the field of nanorobotics, and microscopic robots can also help people overcome disease and disorders. To illustrate, with advanced enough technology, patients with faulty genes that cause disabilities could be cured by using the technologies to identify faulty sections of genes and removing them. Small, programmed nanorobots could be created to track DNA inside cells and make the necessary adjustments, cutting and inserting strands of DNA where needed. While this technology is still in the prototyping stage, and there are concerns over its use and impact on the environment, there is no doubt that nanomedicine will be a revolutionary addition to the toolbox of many medical institutions worldwide.