薬学および生命科学における研究開発の国際ジャーナル

抽象的な

Nanomedicine for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of wide-ranging clinical conditions

Thomas J. Webster

Problem Statement: Medical conditions that are fully or partially irremediable, and which have the potential to leave patients permanently debilitated, are prevalent, despite the wide clinical availability of therapeutics, drugs, and diagnostic tools. Major contemporary health and well-being risks are onset by a slew of causative agents, including antibiotic-resistant microorganisms that prompt facilely transmissible infectious diseases; inherited genetic disorders or mutations that maximize the likelihood of certain cancers in affected individuals; and traumatic injuries that result in lifelong localized pain, disfigurement, or surgical intervention. Methodology: Nanotechnological solutions are dependent on the manipulation of elementary constituents to produce particles or features with dimensions on the order of 100 nm or less, from extremity-to-extremity, and which display optimal quantum effects and enhanced surface area to volume ratios. Facile synthesis approaches, including nanoparticle self-assembly, hydrothermal production, and biogenic methods, have been adapted to achieve these nanodimensions in medical systems. Findings: Unique nanoparticle physiochemical properties, pertaining to size, morphology, and electronic responsiveness contribute to biomolecular impairment and ATP depletion in antagonistic cell types. For instance, noble metal and metal oxide nanoparticles have demonstrated anti-bacterial and anti-cancer efficacy following their application within in vitro and in vivo environments. Targeted delivery has been successfully approached through the synthesis of nanocarriers loaded with various drugs, proteins, genetic materials, and fluorescent probes. Nanofibrous or nanofeatured orthopedic scaffolds with optimal surface energies and mechanical properties have aided in implant optimization. Conclusions: Advances in nanotechnology will produce an index of safe and versatile treatments that functionally exceed current regimens, or that warrant clinical solutions to otherwise untreatable medical complications or conditions.