Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery

Nanoparticles and Nano medicine

Nano medicine is a branch of medicine that applies the knowledge and tools of nanotechnology in the prevention and treatment of diseases. Nano medicine involves the use of nano scale materials, such as biocompatible nanoparticles and Nano robots, for diagnosis, delivery, sensing or actuation purposes in a living organism. Nanoparticles with ~100 nano meters have been widely used to improve the drug accumulation, internalization and therapeutic efficacy. The physicochemical and biological properties of the Nanoparticles can also be finely adjusted by tailoring their chemical properties, sizes, shapes, structures, morphologies, and surface properties. Nano medicine is the medical application of Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has provided the possibility of delivering drugs to specific cells using nanoparticles. Current problems for nano medicine involve understanding the issues related to toxicity and environmental impact of nano scale materials.

Nano medicine seeks to deliver a valuable set of research tools and clinically useful devices in the near future. The National Nanotechnology Initiative expects new commercial applications in the pharmaceutical industry that may include advanced drug delivery systems, new therapies, and in vivo imaging.