The Future of Medicine

How will we diagnose disease and illness in the future? What would be the power for doctors to know exactly what is wrong with patients and how they can be treated though simple and quick tests. Those are the questions that surround the new field of nanomedecine. “Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology. Nanomedicine ranges from the medical applications of nanomaterials and biological devices, to nanoelectronic biosensors, and even possible future applications of molecular nanotechnology such as biological machines” (Nanomedicine).  One such nanomedicine application is the Cornell dots or C-dots that utilize small silica-based nanoparticles infused with dye which light up with fluorescence as they react to cancerous or tumor tissue. These dots are just one example of how nanotechnology and nanomedicine can help change patient care forever.

Liposome utilizes nano core shell particles that 

self assemble to protect the drug for delivery (Nanomedicine).

Other nanotechnology such as Abraxane, approved by the FDA uses albumin bound paclitaxel nanoparticles to target breast, lung and pancreatic caner cells. This is useful and important technology due to the select targeting made possible by nanotechnology. In the past chemotherapy and radiation had to be applied body wide and healthy cells were just as likely to be damaged as the cancerous cells. This results in a great deal of pain, sickness and even death of patients undergoing the treatment. By comparison new nanotech solutions will be capable of directly targeting cancerous cells and administering the medication without harming healthy cells. These drug delivery systems work in part by protecting the drugs with nano scale core shell particles as pictured above.

 

BIND-014 which uses "targeted nanoparticle 

technology to enhance the trafficking of cytotoxic agents

  

Nanoparticles are so powerful as a potential solution to fight cancer and other illnesses because of their high surface are to volume ratio. This allows for many functional groups to be attached to a nanoparticle, which can seek out and bind to certain tumor cells. “Limitations to conventional cancer chemotherapy include drug resistance, lack of selectivity, and lack of solubility. Nanoparticles have the potential to overcome these problems” (Nanomedicine). This functionality would allow doctors to prescribe highly effective medication that have little to no side effects. Nanomedicine is the key to creating wonder drugs, even drugs that are specialized and custom tailored for the patient’s individual traits. One such example is BIND-014 which uses "targeted nanoparticle technology to enhance the trafficking of cytotoxic agents to cancer cells and increase efficacy, which, if confirmed in human trials, has the potential to improve outcomes for patients" (Fiercebiotech).

 

Nanoparticles such as Bucky Balls - C60 can be bio 

accumulative and cause numerous health problems.

The main problem and limitation is that several Nanoparticles are bio accumulative, meaning that they can build up in the body or get caught in the lungs of patients. Carbon nano particles also exhibit structures similar to asbestos. Effectively this means that certain nanotechnologies are capable causing harm and possibly lethal results. It is a case where the treatment is as dangerous as the disease. "A new study into the potential health hazards of the revolutionary nano-sized particles known as 'buckyballs' predicts that the molecules are easily absorbed into animal cells, providing a possible explanation for how the molecules could be toxic to humans and other organisms" (ScienceDaily). Thankfully there are many elements on the periodic table and we have not exhausted all options. But the result is that advancements and research has been slow. So while Nanomedicine has the power to forever change healthcare as it stands today the technology is only ready for highly limited use, even though its future potential remains strong.

References:

“BIND Biosciences Initiates Phase 1 Clinical Study.” Fiercebiotech. Fiercebiotech. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

<http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/bind-biosciences-initiates-phase-1-clinical-study-bind-014-first-class-targ-0>.

"Nanomedicine." Wikipedia. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanomedicine>. 

“Nanotechnology Risks: How Buckyballs Hurt Cells.” University of Calgary. ScienceDaily. 27 May 2008. Web. 25 Nov 2015. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527091910.htm>.

Prisco, Jocopo. “Will nanotechnology soon allow you to 'swallow the doctor'?.” CNN. CNN. 26 Jan 2015. Web. 30 NOV 2015.

<http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/29/tech/mci-nanobots-eth/>.