Nanotechnology in Health

Nanotechnology – All You Need to Know

Nanotechnology is a term that refers to the study of the properties of materials on an atomic or molecular scale. It involves manipulating particles that are smaller than 100 nanometers (one nanometer is equal to one billionth of a metre), as well as designing materials or technologies that are smaller than that – making them invisible to the naked eye and frequently being hundreds of times thinner than the diameter of a human hair. Utilizing the unique properties of nanoscale materials, such as their specific strengths, conductivity, and reactivity, might potentially usher in a new age of medical innovation. When materials are reduced to the nanoscale, their physics and chemistry radically change.  

The United States and other wealthy nations are substantially investing in nanotechnology for medical purposes. The US Food and Drug Administration has already authorized the first generation of cancer treatments delivered by nanoparticles (FDA). 

However, nanotechnology in healthcare is still in its early stages, and whether it would be beneficial to resource-poor nations is still up for dispute. Critics claim that investing in cutting-edge technologies is a waste of money when millions of people in countries like India and Sub-Saharan Africa are dying due to a lack of access to even basic healthcare. Experts are also worried that nanoparticle toxicity to human health and the environment has not been adequately investigated. Nanoparticles and nanotubes – cylindrical carbon molecules that are greater conductors than conventional carbon molecules — should be regarded as hazardous waste, according to a 2004 report by the UK Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering. 

Many rising economies, including Brazil, China, India, Iran, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, and South Africa, are investing heavily in nanotechnology research and development. Their governments must strike a balance between immediate medical demands and long-term technical investment. 

Nanotechnology Origins

While impoverished nations must continue to improve their healthcare systems and give more access to drugs, nanotechnology has the potential to save lives in the long term by making diagnosis and treatment significantly more effective. Nanomedicine, according to a group of experts who have mapped out the benefits of nanotechnology and the demands of global health, is relevant for the poor world. They surveyed researchers all around the world and came to the conclusion that nanotechnology may play a significant role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals for health. The aim is to minimize child mortality, in particular, battle HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infections, and improve maternal mortality. 

What is Nanotechnology Used for

Several advancements in nanotechnology have the potential to enhance health in poor nations. 

1. Diagnostics and screening 

• Nanoliter systems (also known as lab-on-a-chip) are devices that automate biological processes using nanoliter-sized fluids. 
• Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductors that can be employed as disease biosensors. They can be used to identify sick cells because they glow. 
• Nano sensors made of magnetic nanoparticles. 
• Carbon nanotube grids make up nano sensor arrays. 
• Antibody-dendrimer conjugates are branching nano molecules with antibodies attached at one end for HIV and cancer diagnostics. 
• As nanosensors for disease diagnosis, carbon nanotubes and flatter, thin wires called nanobelts or nanowires (typically composed of gold) bind to biomarkers that signify cancer, such as altered RNA. 
• Medical imaging relies on looking for differences in the way light is dispersed in healthy tissue versus sick tissue. Nanoparticles as medical image enhancers The more distinct the difference, the more precise the diagnosis. Nanoparticles can improve the resolution of medical imaging tools, making it simpler to detect illness. 

Could nanotechnology aid in the treatment of cancer? 

Advances in nanotechnology have mostly been focused on cancer, primarily in terms of diagnostics and medicine administration. The chemotherapies paclitaxel, which slows cell proliferation, and lonidamine, which lowers energy metabolism in cancer cells, have been utilized to treat multidrug-resistant breast and ovarian cancer with drugs transported by polymer-coated nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are designed to target an overexpressed epidermal growth factor receptor in tumor cells. Early detection of cancer can have a substantial impact on survival rates. Scientists can identify as little as two cancer cells in one microliter of a bio sample using magnetic nanoparticles in a small magnetic resonance sensor, dramatically enhancing early detection. Scientists at Stanford University in the United States have developed a very targeted approach of eliminating malignant cells using nanotechnology. They implanted carbon nanotubes into cancer cells and then subjected the tissue to near-infrared laser light, which heated the nanotubes and killed the cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. 

Nanotechnology in India 

The Indian government’s Central Scientific Instruments Organization has developed a nanotechnology-based tuberculosis detection kit that is now being tested in clinical trials. Existing TB therapy entails a lengthy medication regimen administered over several months. Many individuals do not take their medications correctly or do not finish the course. 

The medications are contained in biodegradable polymers like liposomes and microspheres, which ensures that the therapy is delivered for a long time. Researchers from Harvard University in the United States, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in India, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa have successfully tested nanoparticles of polylactide co-glycoside, a polymer commonly used to deliver drugs because it degrades well and does not cause an immune reaction. Nanoparticles might potentially be used to administer an aerosolized tuberculosis vaccination. The vaccine is needle-free and hence does not require trained workers to give it. It is also stable at room temperatures, which is significant in rural regions where there is no reliable cold chain.

Conclusion

What is physically possible vs what is ethically acceptable is a contentious issue. Nanomedicine raises ethical concerns in impoverished countries, just like genetically engineered crops do. When people are in severe need of food or medication, does it make a difference how it gets there? Is it possible for illiterate or uneducated people to participate properly in debates regarding the implications of new technology on society? Nanotechnology’s invisibility makes it easy to ‘hide’ nanotech items, as well as infringe on privacy or perform operations requiring consent without the patient’s awareness. This is especially true in the case of nano-drug clinical trials conducted in underdeveloped nations.