“Bad cells are easily removed through a 3D interface without damaging the nearby cells.” said Professor Adela Ben-Yakar.

Femtosecond laser is able to produce an extremely strong light and can remove the targeted cell so quickly that the laser has no time to damage the surrounding tissue. A femtosecond laser has already been developed for commercial use — for a few eye surgeries.

Apart from this research, the researchers at the University of Texas are also working on nanoparticles and their use in reaching the targeted cells. In a last-year research, they have proven that golden nanoparticles are very useful.

„Detection of the pathogentic factors of malaria and dengue fever is our first target.“, said Paul Greenfield. „Down the line the research is going to be spread across many branches of medicine, biosecurity and pharmaceuticals.“

„Our researches are pioneers of the so called „nano-barcodes“. They take read-outs from them electronically and get information about targeted molecules. The practical use of this is that it’s cheaper, more accurate and way easier to use than most techniques.“

The research is being lead by great scientists such as Dr Krassen Dimitrov and Dr Daniel T Schwartz.

„This is next generation nanomedicine“, he said. „We are now making complex nanostructures to elude the natural defences of the body, to locate tumors and such and release a load of therapeutics and/or constrasting agents.“

Drug delivery systems are predicted to be revamped by using nanomedicine. „The field of threapeutic nanoparticles begun with liposomes which are used in cancer clinics all over the world. The molecules we’re after were added to liposomes to help in directing them to „bad“ cells“, said Ferrari.

It is estimated that 1 of every 100000 molecules reaches it’s desired location. Therefore, getting drugs to their targets isn’t an easy task. The multistage approach is needed to bypass the body’s natural defences. Besides that, Ferrari’s team is also working on bio modifications to bring the MDS to cancer lesions.

Ennio Tasciotti, Ph.D., and Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., both said that this study wouldn’t have been possible without the effort of physicists, chemists, engeneers and mathematicians. The study has been partly supported by the NCI.

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The original drug was discovered in the 1990s but was rejected due to it’s dangerous side effects (an ammonium salt being the portion that’s harmful). By removing the „bad“ portion and by adding gold particles to it, the drug prevents the virus to make a cellular foothold. The compound is known as TAK-779.

“The idea is that by attaching these individual molecules of the drug with a weak binding ability to the gold nanoparticle, you can magnify their ability to bind,” says Dr. Christian Melander.

When this drug comes to clinical phases, it will save many lives. That’s a burden for the scientists, but it’s something they should bear. Patients are waiting… This is just another example which shows the great power behind nanomedicine and nanotechnology in general.

Researchers at the OU Cancer Institute used technology devices to reduce the protein’s amount in cancer cells which led to cell death (it stopped cancer from growing).

This has been tested on various types of cancer – breast, pancreas, prostate etc. Clinical trials are estimated to start in about 5 years.

The tests won’t take much time since this is a diagnostic tool. A few international companies will be hired to commercialise the product. This should be one out of many tools which are developed based on nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology.

DISEASE DETECTION

Quantum dots are going to be used as devices to recognize ‘bad’ (cancer) cells and are currently in the research phase. These dots are able to emit a light similar to infrared. They travel through the body and they CAN be seen by the infrared scanner. When these come to the clinical phase, they will enormously reduce the use of radioactive materials which are being used for diagnostics at the moment. Of course, the results that we would be able to get with quantum dots would be way more precise and accurate than the ones we get today using radioactive devices.

Nanotechnology (nanomedicine) can also offer cancer cells detection on a much improved level. Nowdays, detection of cancer requires 1 million cancel cells to be present to be discovered. Nanodevices are able to reduce that number to 1,000.

DISEASE TREATMENT

Along with cancer cells detection, cancer treatment will be highly improved. Research on clinical mice has shown that a targeted nanoparticle injected in the bloodstream was successful with removing the prostate cancer.

DRUG DELIVERY

Research has shown that special substances which are now toxic when injected with non-toxic substances will become acceptable to various systems. It is also predicted that specially designed nanoparticles will be able to detect abnormalities and such.

CONCLUSION

Nanomedicine is a subfield of nanotechnology that the human race will get the most benefit from. It is being constanly researched and new discoveries are being presented every day. Nanomedicine is used today in a small amount, but time can only tell what nanomedicine potential is or will be. I am sure that it’s huge.

„Fortunately Iran is among the forerunners in the world as far as modern technologies are concerned, he said adding that presumably there are less than ten countries in the world including Iran which enjoy biotechnology and nanotechnology.”

Iran made a “Five-year development plan” in 2005. and one of the goals is achieving developments in science – nanobiotechnology and biotechnology.

“The current task is to create competitive advantages for Russia`s space agency using nanotechnology. This will help our space industry not only to maintain its current market position but also to enter other international markets,” said Leonid Melabed, head of Rosnanotekh.

There will be a special division within the company to work on aerospace projects.