Applications of nanomedicine

Abstract:
The definition of nanomedicine is the scientific method in which nanoscale tools are use at cellular
level or molecular level for the treatment of living thing. In nanomedicines there is use of
nanomaterial at nanoscale by applying bio enginerring or by the application of nanotechnology.

Introduction
The concept of nanotechnology was given by the physicist Richard Feynman in 1959 during his
seminal lecture.later on in 1980 ,Drexler predicted great revolutions in the field of nano scale
process.there are many applications of nanotechnology one of the most remarkable application is

In health and medicine. The definition of nanomedicine is the scientific method in which nanoscale
tools are use at cellular level or molecular level for the treatment of living thing.The science of
nanotechnology deal with the size of structure between 1 to 100nm.on these basis nanotechnology
is applicable in the field of nano medicine to develop drugs from different materials and deliver
these drugs through different vehicles Techniques for the repair of cells ,enhance gene therapy
,diagnostics,pharmacotherapy and tissue engineering procedures.
For Diagnostic Purposes
Biomedical laboratory diagnosis plays a key role in today’s health care.we use it for testing for
different process such as we use it for size reduction . Size reduction of biomedical lab tests has
several advantages: Not only does it lead to a marked reduction of the sample volume needed for
testing, but it also results in a marked reduction of (potentially expensive) reagents such as
monoclonal antibodies. Last but not least, it may lead to a significant reduction in the time required.
Moreover, the ability of current nanotools to measure interaction microforces between individual
molecules is most promising for biomedical testing because this might eliminate the need for
reagent labeling, a tedious and expensive step. Taken together, small sized sample volumes and fast
reaction times bring mobile testing devices into the realm of reality. They indicate that there will be
a strong trend toward point-of-care testing at the bedside or in an ambulatory setting. One of the fi
rst applications of Nano-medicine will be improved fluorescent markers for diagnostic and screening
purposes. Conventional fluorescent markers require complex color. Non invasive imaging techniques
had a major impact in medicine over the past 25 years or so. The current drive in developing
techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is to enhance spatial resolution and
contrast agents. Nanotechnologies already offer the possibility of intracellular imaging through
attachment of quantum dots or synthetic chromophores to selected molecules, for example,
proteins, or by the incorporation of naturally occurring fl uorescent proteins which, with optical
techniques such as confocal.

Potential Platform for Therapeutic Applications

Applications of nanotechnologies in medicine are especially promising, and areas such as disease
diagnosis, drug delivery targeted at specifi c sites in the body and molecular imaging are being
intensively investigated and some products are undergoing clinical trials. Nanotechnology is
relatively new. Although the full scope of contributions these technological advances will make in
medicine is unexplored, recent advances suggested nanotechnology will have a profound impact on
disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

The current generation of drugs is largely based on small molecules with a mass of 1000 Da or less
that circulate systemically. Common deleterious consequences of systemic biodistribution include
toxicity to nontarget tissues, difficulty in maintaining drug concentrations within therapeutic
windows, and metabolism and excretion of drugs, all of which can reduce effi cacy. Drug solubility
and cell permeability issues are also common with small molecules and biologics.

Nanotechnology-based delivery systems could mitigate these problems by combining tissue- or

organ-specifi c targeting with therapeutic action. Multifunctional nano-delivery systems could also
combine targeting, diagnostic, and therapeutic actions.

Application of nanomedicine in emergency medicine; Point-of-

care testing and drug delivery in twenty - first century
In addition, an assay for bacterial meningitis using quantum dots (Q-dots) could detect low
levels of pathogen from a blood specimen, making possible earlier administration of
antibiotics. Zhao et al. have described a method of using a bioconjugated nanoparticle-based
bioassay to detect a single bacterium within 20 minutes. The greater sensitivity of
nanomedicine point-of-care tests would therefore enable EM providers to more accurately
and expeditiously diagnose and hence treat disease.

Neurologic disease: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful tool for diagnosis of
structural central nervous system pathology. A nanoparticle-based MRI contrast agent could
enhance visualization of structural or vascular abnormalities, such as in Parkinson’s disease
or cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). This method could improve the quality of noninvasive
anatomic imaging to be on par with that of histological examination.
Cardiovascular diseases: Applications of nanomedicine in cardiovascular diseases include
diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis and decreasing re-stenosis rates after stenting. An
advantage of using a nanoscale agent is early detection of disease. Although there are many
applications for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease based on nanoparticulate agents
investigators in this field of medicine are starting to use nanomedicine to deliver therapeutic
agents.
An exciting application is the nanopatterning and nanostructuring of stents makes these stents
communicate with cells at nanoscale levels. This application will allow the endothelium to
grow over the sent and will create an area of future research on obstructing coronary artery
disease.

Pharmacotherapy
Nanomedicine offers several strategies for improving the efficiency of pharmacotherapy.
Encapsulating relatively insoluble pharmaceuticals in liposomes or micelles enhances drug
solubility in the bloodstream. These transport vehicles, exhibiting a hydrophobic core and a
hydrophilic exterior, also shield toxic pharmaceuticals from an immune response, resulting in
less degradation via phagocytosis.
Conjugation of pharmaceuticals to dendrimers, or artificial proteins, achieves similar results,
and with the addition of site-specific surface antibodies, also allows for targeted drug
delivery, resulting in decreased systemic adverse effects.
Overall, application of nanotechnology to pharmacotherapy (e.g., analgesic, antibiotic,
thrombolytic, etc.) improves drug bioavailability and potency, while reducing adverse effects.
These numerous benefits are evident when applied to the treatment of ischemic CVA in the
ED. Ischemic CVA is a source of significant morbidity and mortality in the United States . To
restore cerebrovascular perfusion, eligible patients may receive an intravenous thrombolytic
therapy, although it carries with it a risk of hemorrhagic complications. To temper this risk,
Lanza et al. have advocated employing a lipid-encapsulated perfluorocarbon nanoparticle for
thrombolytic delivery . Its scale would limit it to the intravascular space, thereby minimizing
extravasation of thrombolytic and resultant hemorrhagic complication. The efficiency of such
a drug delivery mechanism would allow for a 10–100 times reduction in thrombolytic dosage,
thus further decreasing the risk of hemorrhagic complication. In addition, Morrow et al.
proposed utilizing perfluorocarbon nanoparticle emulsions with surface antibodies to cross-
linked fibrin to target thrombi for vascular MRI, a concept which could translate to targeted
thrombolytic delivery as well.

Conclusion
The genesis of nanomedicine can be traced to the promise of revolutionary advances across
medicine, communications and human health care. The health care revolution brought about
by nanomedicine could dwarf all other trends in the history of medical technology.