Nanomedicinecenter.com

Glaucoma and macular degeneration treatment near?

Nanotechnology is being applied to almost everything and it’s really growing fast. Under it’s most important subfield – nanomedicine, many researches are being done every day. Professor Mallik from NDSU and his crew have done a nanoparticle research which is concentrated on ophthalmology.

The promise of this research is that eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration could become history. The researchers from NDSU have worked with a nanoparticle called nanoceria and used it as a drug delivery device. Normally, the brain-blood barrier prevents medicines from breaking through, but since nanodevices are very small, they can pass it. Professor Mallik said that nanoceria appears to be nontoxic, but the drugs they attach to it might be.

National Institute of Health recently handed Mallik a $1.47 million grant for research.

Nanomedicine adds ubiquinone to water

Ubiquinone, a coenzyme also known as CoQ10, is a substance that can be found in every cell of our body. It is vital for our survival just like vitamin C. Our body is able to produce this coenzyme, but the ability decreases as we get older. That’s why nanotechnology and nanomedicine scientists want to add ubiquinone to our regular diet — through water. They want to add CoQ10 and other supplements into the water we drink. The technology itself is almost ready, but it will take a long time for authorities to allow this kind of process.

„We do it all with nano-micelle-forming technology.“ says Bruce Lipshutz, professor of chemistry at UCSB. A molecule called PTS is added to water and it forms a nanosphere which has a lipophilic portion (vitamin E). The portion goes to the center (vitamin E doesn’t have any solubility or energy-interactions with the water around it). The water portion is on the outside, and the lipophilic portion is on the inside. When the CoQ is added, it goes in the micelle. It’s crystal clear and stable at room temperature.

The research work will be published in September 2008.

Removing toxins from blood plasma in Russia

At a 3-day summit in Denver, Colorado, US on renewing energy using nanotechnology, Leonid Melamed, the head of Rosnanotech (the leading nanotechnology institution in Russia), said that nanotechnology will soon allow people to have their blood plasma cleaned from toxins. The treatment will not be expensive at all.

„We should have the project set for testing by December.“, Melamed said.

So far, Russians were able to clean up their blood plasma during a 2-hour session, priced at around US$220 at clinics. It’s an easy way to remove toxins from your body.

Melamed also said that even fitness centers could soon be able to offer this „service“ by using nanotechnology and nanomedicine.