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THE PHARMA REVIEW
(OCTOBER 2008) |
Nanomedicine: Therapeutic
and Diagnostic Prospects
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Kamal Dua, V.K.Sharma, V.P.
Yadav, A. Samad, Pranav Sharma |
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Abstract: The use of nanomaterials in the field
of medicine by the virtue of advancement in
nanotechnology has offered ample opportunities for the
researchers to change the health care system
dramatically for diseases like cancer. Nanomedicine is
the medical application of nanotechnology that will
hopefully lead to useful research tools, advanced drug
delivery systems, and new ways to treat disease or
repair damaged tissues and cells. Vital and significant
contribution of naomedicine for the prevention,control
and treatment of ceratin diseases has attracted the
attention of researchers and they are trying to exploit
the other potential appliactions of nanomedicines like
nanonephrology etc. This paper focuses on what is known
as nanomedicine, referring to the application of
nanotechnology to medicine.
Nanomedicine - The Concept
Nanomedicine is the medical application of
nanotechnology that will hopefully lead to useful
research tools, advanced drug delivery systems, and new
ways to treat disease or repair damaged tissues and
cells. The approaches to nanomedicine range from the
medical use of nanomaterials, to nanoelectronic
biosensors, and even possible future applications of
molecular nanotechnology. Current problems for
nanomedicine involve understanding the issues related to
toxicity and environmental impact of nanoscale
materials.
Nanotechnology involves the creation and use of
materials and devices at the level of molecules and
atoms. Research in nanotechnology began with discoveries
of novel physical and chemical properties of various
metallic or carbon-based materials that only appear for
structures at nanometer-sized dimensions. Understanding
these nanoscale properties permits engineers to build
new structures and use these materials in new ways. The
same holds true for the biological structures inside
living cells of the body. Researchers have developed
powerful tools to extensively categorize the parts of
cells in vivid detail, and we know a great deal about
how these intracellular structures operate. Yet,
scientists have still not been able to answer questions
such as, "How many?" "How big?" and "How fast?" These
answers must be provided to fully understand cellular
structures in order to repair them or build new "nano"
structures that can safely operate inside the body. This
will lead to better diagnostic tools and engineered
nanoscale structures for more specific treatments of
diseased or damaged tissues.
For full text of this article contact the publisher on
info@kppub.com
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