Nanomedicine: Revolutionising drug based treatment approaches

Cancer drugs aren't picky when it comes to who they target. Not only do they destroy cancerous cells, but non-cancerous cells too. Imagine the harm it causes to a cancer patient by affecting healthy body tissues with rapidly developing and dividing cells.

What if there was a way to target tumor cells on a long-term basis without causing harm to the healthy cells?

Yes, recent research has come up with a solution. While still in its early stages, researchers expect a revolutionary impact on health care by implementing nanotechnology in medicine as the findings are particularly promising and have the potential to improve our lives significantly.

What is nanotechnology, and how can it help?

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary effort to manipulate materials at the atomic and molecular levels. A nanometre is equal to one billionth of a meter, which is ten times the diameter of a hydrogen atom. The ordinary laws of physics and chemistry no longer exist at such scales.

Nanoparticles have unique optical, electrical, and structural properties that other tools lack. The most promising idea is designing multifunctional nanoparticle (NP) complexes that can concurrently deliver diagnostic and therapeutic agents to selected sites. Nanotechnology has various applications in medicine that include imaging, diagnosis, controlled drug release, and drug delivery.

Compared to traditional medicines, nanomedicines can provide numerous benefits, including:

• enhanced efficacy
• bioavailability
• dose-response
• targeting efficiency
• personalization
• protection

Recent Nanomedicine Breakthroughs

Here are three recent nanomedicine breakthroughs:

Early screening of Lung Cancer

By identifying the abnormalities in the microRNA, scientists can determine whether or not the patient has cancer. One runs a sample of microRNA isolated from blood plasma through a nanopore, a tiny hole in a protein-based membrane that only allows one molecule to slip through at a time. A device detects any anomalies in the sequence by running a current through the pore and picking up on the RNA base pairs' signals as they interact chemically with the protein hole.

Gold Nanoparticle Flu Test

The test takes advantage of the tendency of gold nanoparticles to disperse light in a variety of ways based on their geometry. A fluid sample is collected, and the nanoparticles are bound to antibodies that directly attach to the flu virus. The geometry of the particles varies as they surround the virus, and they scatter light differently, indicating that the virus is present.

Spinal Cord Repair

As the nervous tissue in the spine is damaged, a cyst may develop, preventing it from regenerating. Nanotubes filled with self-assembling peptides are created to help the damaged area and imitate the spine's structure. Newly shaped cells, including nerves, blood vessels, and bone cells, replace the cysts after a few months.

Other recent breakthroughs in this field

• Opioids are a broad group of drugs that provide effective pain relief while having several adverse side effects that are generally harmful to the patient's health. A nanoparticle-based approach to pain management and targeting nerve cells will be a viable, safer, and more cost-effective alternative to opioid therapy. Using the versatile nature of nanoparticles, scientists inhibit the receptors inside endosomes that are typically activated to inflict pain.
• MicroMESH is a modern nanomedicine device that can adhere to the surface of tumor masses and deliver drugs effectively. It is made of biodegradable materials and is capable of coiling around the tumor mass. MicroMESH's unique feature allows it to engage more closely with the tumor mass, increasing therapeutic efficacy.
• Nanomedicine is used chiefly due to its small scale, which allows it to accomplish specific complex tasks that humans cannot. According to the researchers, nanomedicine benefits humans more than it harms them. These researchers are constantly working to discover nanomedicine that can adequately serve its purpose to assist physicians in the healthcare sector.

Author

Aishik Das
Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute
Pune, India