Nanotechnology and Medicine
The active pursuit of knowledge in nanotechnology could revolutionize the treatment and detection of various diseases in the future. Nanotechnology is the branch of science that focuses on the development of technology at the molecular scale, including the development of instruments that have been applied to many fields, such as the automotive, cosmetic, and fabric industries. In medicine, nanotechnology has already been applied to the treatment of diabetes, the production of prosthetic limbs, and the improvement of life for the paralyzed, and many believe it is also the key to curing cancer and even immortality.
For the majority of the time, disease and illness are caused by damage at the molecular and cellular level. Modern treatments for such diseases promulgate the use of large and rather crude (relative to the cellular level) surgical tools that, at the molecular level, injure and tear rather than heal. Thus, modern surgery is only effective because of the human capacity to recover from injuries, not necessarily because the techniques used are advanced.
With the application of nanotechnology, surgeries performed with crude tools will no longer be the best viable option. Nanotechnology will allow scientists to economically build complex molecular machines- smaller than a human cell- and lead the way in controlled interference at the molecular level, unclogging arteries, killing cancer cells, and providing artificial mitochondrion. Nanotechnology may produce new instruments allowing scientists to examine the human body and its functions in unprecedented detail, where microscopic machines could give views of ongoing bodily functions or views of human structures.
Therefore, I believe that nan...
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One of the rational to this problem is the size of the surgical tools that are million times bigger compared to a single cell. In 1959, Richard Feynman, an engineer, proposed a solution for this problem by suggesting the idea of nanoscale surgical tools for more accurate diagnosis and assessment. Today, Feynman’s initiative is being achieved and many microscopic tools have already been developed for greater precision and faster healing; nanoscale tweezers, microscopic scalpels and nanoparticles.
In the article “Pinpointing Cancer Fight,” Liz Szabo states the uses of nanotechnology and how researchers are attempting to use this advancement to fight cancer. She defines that nanotechnology is a type of technology that creates devices on an atomic level; this equipment can allow people such as researchers to use its ability to detect cancerous cells as well as treat them. Szabo remains a neutral tone as she states that while some are against the idea of using nanotechnology since there are many risks, others are optimistic that it may lead to transformational results. She presents a list of some products developed through nanotechnology and explains its usage in addition to mentioning the failure of those nanotech products. Szabo provides
It is clear that nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize health care and even transport
[25] Jong WH, Borm PJ. Drug delivery and nanoparticles: applications and hazards. Int J Nanomedicine 2008; 3: 133–149.
“Some of these inventions consist of Nanotechnology [manipulation of matter measured with an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale], sold with the possibility to include medicine and energy production.” He stops in front of an oversized entrance right next to the study just next to the stairs. The man makes sure he has your attention, expressing with an unassuming quality. Knowing what he is about to tell you may darken your opinion of the doctor, nevertheless, he must tell the story.
The National Nanotechnology Initiative defines nanotechnology as “science, engineering, and technology conducted at a nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.” In a calculative sense, there are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch and a sheet of newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, putting that into perspective, if a marble were a nanometer, a meter would be the size of the Earth. Due to the miniscule size of the work of nanotechnology, it can be used throughout all fields of science, including chemistry, biology, physics, materials science and engineering to study and apply microscopic objects and abstractions.
...nessing “the power of nanotechnology” to radically change the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer.” The most likely method implemented will by the use of nanovectors for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs, and then heating nanoparticles that are attached to cancer cells so that the cancer cells explode. (5, 9) There are still many obstacles that must be overcome before this is a reality: from the ethical concern by some that nanobots will take control of the body to the more practical problem that this method of treatment will be very expensive and funding will be an issue. (6) But with millions of people suffering from some form of cancer, scientists are searching for cures and treatments and nanotechnology offers the greatest promise. One day, cancer may be completely curable thanks to nanotechnology which is something everyone would benefit from.
We also have learned that although nanotechnology has been around for a decade, there is still a long way to go to perfect this technology. Biomedical scientists and Nano-engineers have to work together so that all the nanobot promises are met safely and effectively. Our group is excited to see this technology continue to evolve. We are even more excited to finally see nanotechnology being used in the human body.
Syková, Eva, and Sarka Kubinova. "Nanotechnologies in regenerative medicine." Minimally Invasive Therapy & Allied Technologies 19: 144-156. Print.
Plastic surgery is a diverse specialty, encompassing hand and craniofacial surgery, tissue reconstruction due to various deficits caused of excisions, cancer, trauma or congenital defects, aesthetic surgery and burn care. So, as far as plastic and reconstructive surgery are concerned, nanomedical market offers a broad variety of medical and technological achievements to be used in wound healing, cosmetic appliances, burn and skin care, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, implants and tissue engineering. [6]
The most exceptional trait about nanomedicine is its capability of eliminating cancers and tumors. Cancers and tumors have been a major problem for people worldwide, from families being torn apart, loved ones vanishing, and much more. Both being a complex matter to challenge as for many years it has been a problem and the closest thing that was thought to be the answer was chemotherapy. Many people have been wanting the actual cure and now we might have the answer. In the article “Nanomedicine”(2014), Guizhi Zhu, Lei Mei, and Weihong Tan establishes that:
What is Nanotechnology? “Nanotechnology is the manipulation or self-assembly of individual atoms, molecules, or molecular clusters into structures to create materials and devices with new or vastly different properties. Nanotechnology can work from the top down (which means reducing the size of the smallest structures to the nanoscale… or the bottom up (which involves manipulating individual atoms and molecules into nanostructures and more closely resembles chemistry or biology)” (Joseph & Morrison, 2006, p.3, para. 2).
Nanoscience has developed a lot in modern technologies. A number of nano materials have been synthesized that are being used in different fields in different ways. In biological sciences product of nanobiotechnology has been used as:
Nanotechnology includes nanorobots which are so small that they can be injected into the human bloodstream after which the nanorobots can do investigations or repair at cellular level. Nanorobots could optimize the delivery of pharmaceutical products, these means that medicines which are targeted on a specific type of cells can be delivered to only those cells by the nanorobots. The robots can attach to the cells after which they can inject the drug into the target cells. This could be a great breakthrough for cancer treatments such as chemotherapy because there is a minimal chance of injecting healthy cells with the drug and therefor negative side effects can be avoided.
Currently nanotechnology is being used in in surface cleaners, clothes, cosmetics, and sunscreen. It also uses in medical research for cancer and other medical ailments. Now we must understand that nanotechnology is changing every day and research is showing that new and better things will come. The future of nanotechnology has two basic concept that is currently in effect. The first one is hypothetical and is way off in the distance future. This concept is the nanorobots. Yes, it does sound like something in a movie but researcher is hoping for this to be a reality. They include the theory that the nanorobot will start “molecular manufacturing and medical robots that can steer automatic through your blood”, (www.futureforall.org). The other concept is that is used for treatment is the medical field is currently “awaiting human trails for the Nanoshells, to help cancer, and the liposomes, as a vaccine adjuvants and a vehicle for drug transport”, (www.futureforall.org). Nanotechnology also play out in “electronics making materials graphene and quantum dots us for computer and communication devices”,