Introduction
Nanotechnology in medicine is attracting more and more attention as a promising direction in the development of healthcare. Compared to conventional diagnostic and treatment methods, nanomaterials have significant advantages due to their smaller size. They can target specific cells to minimize side effects and also allow for more effective drug use. Moreover, they can be widely used to diagnose diseases more accurately. However, there are a number of ethical, economic, and regulatory challenges associated with nanomaterials in medicine. However, the development of various aspects will allow nanotechnology to become the forefront of medicine through effective cancer treatment and gene therapy.
Nanomedicine for Diagnosis and Treatment
The use of nanotechnology in medicine is a new but rapidly developing area. This direction is called nanomedicine and is defined as “the use of nanomaterials for diagnosis, monitoring, control, prevention and treatment of diseases” (Soares et al. 1). Within the framework of nanomedicine, specialists are engaged in the development and application of nanotools and materials to more effectively solve medical problems (El-Sayed and Kamel 19200). Usually, the size of nanoparticles ranges from 1 to 100 nm; however, there is no standard since the size of a particle largely depends on its properties (Soares et al. 2). In contrast to conventional analogs, nanomaterials can have different chemical, physical and biological properties, providing a new therapeutic or diagnostic effect due to their smaller size.
The most active research of nanoparticles occurred from 1970-1980 and is actively developing at the present time. Compared to conventional materials, nanomaterials are safer and more biocompatible. Additionally, they can penetrate various physiological barriers due to their small size, as well as effectively deal with intracellular and drug-resistant pathogens. Nanomedicine, in particular, has three areas: “diagnosis (nanodiagnosis), controlled drug delivery (nanotherapy), and regenerative medicine” (Soares et al. 3). Figure 1 shows which applications of nanomedicine are most common at present.
Nanoparticles are more effective imagining agents, and sensor systems for diagnostics are being developed on their basis. In particular, they provide “better contrast, controlled biodistribution, and multi-model imaging for ultrasound, MRI, PET, and SPECT” (El-Sayed and Kamel 19201). Certain types of particles are ideal for advanced cancer diagnostics due to their optical and physical properties. Cancer diagnostics using special nanochips with antibodies makes it possible to detect cancer cells in the early stages of their development. Nanotechnology is particularly advantageous for the early diagnosis of skin and prostate cancer. Nanomaterials can also detect infectious diseases in a matter of hours, as well as diagnose immune disorders.
The most significant therapeutic applications of nanomaterials are in new cancer treatments. The most important properties of cancer therapy are minimizing side-effects, eliminating the malignant cells, and cost-efficiency, but none of the conventional methods provide these benefits. Thanks to the properties of nanomaterials, it is possible to develop an individual treatment plan for each patient. Nanomaterials are able to target a tumor without harming other tissues, minimize the dose to avoid side effects, overcome drug resistance, and provide a combination of several agents (El-Sayed and Kamel 19206). However, some types of cancer cells are extremely aggressive, for which nanomedicine is also developing gene and stem cell therapies. Nanomaterials can protect DNA and RNA as they are written, as well as provide penetration into the desired cell. Nanomaterials can also aid in the delivery of DNA to stem cells.
Additionally, drug nanoformulas provide more effective treatment for infectious and non-infectious diseases, helping to overcome antibiotic and other drug resistance. Damaged tissue can also be replaced with nanomaterials, which is beneficial for regenerative medicine. Nanotechnology can increase the strength, lifespan, and biocompatibility of implants. Nanomedicine also provides additional benefits for vaccination by providing more controlled dosage and drug delivery, which minimizes side effects and maximizes antibody generation.
Nanomaterials have particular advantages for the pharmaceutical industry and drug efficiency increasing. Nanoparticles have a high specific surface area in relation to the volume due to their small size. This property allows nanomaterials to be more reactive due to the increased surface energy of the particles (Soares et al. 3). Moreover, nanomaterials can absorb biological materials on contact, including proteins and lipids. Nanomaterials can also be designed for specific medical purposes, allowing them to be created in different sizes and shapes. This property allows the development of systems for the delivery of drugs to certain organs and tissues, which significantly increases their efficiency and safety.
Challenges
Despite all the advantages, nanomedicine faces a number of economic and ethical difficulties. First of all, more efficient delivery of drug components and the possibility to combine agents can have a negative economic impact on pharmaceutical activities (Kumar). Nanomaterials allow lower doses to be used, drugs are delivered more efficiently, and they also improve diagnostic methods, which pose a threat to business. Moreover, the production of nanomaterials requires more qualified specialists and a complicated technological process, which can also be economically disadvantageous. Ethically, nanomaterials face challenges associated with patient autonomy and beneficence (Jiang and Carmichael 314). Moreover, there is no effective regulatory system for the use, distribution, and processing of nanomaterials.
Conclusion and Future Prospects
Nanomedicine has a number of indisputable advantages over conventional methods of diagnosis and treatment, in particular of such diseases as cancer and various infections. Despite the fact that at present, this direction is only developing and needs regulatory changes in the healthcare sector, it has significant future prospects. Primarily, nanomedicine can be used to develop various types of smart pills and capsules which aid in the diagnosis, monitoring, and drug control. Such technologies could help doctors monitor various patient parameters in real-time, as well as automate the process of drug application. However, such a perspective raises ethical concerns about patient data privacy (Routley). Nanobots can also be used for a variety of micro-operations, including ocular or capillary surgeries and biopsy collection. More promising future directions are also more effective bandages or nanopatch vaccines. Additionally, nanomaterials can be used to create more sensitive laboratory instruments.
Nanotechnology is the future of medicine, but first, this area needs to solve a number of difficulties which currently impede its development. First of all, research is needed on the impact of nanoparticles on the environment. Additionally, no studies have been conducted on whether nanomaterials accumulate in organs and tissues (Routley). There is also no large-scale production, so there is no evidence of the possibility of cost-effective manufacturing. Moreover, new regulatory guidelines from the FDA do not allow the registration of smart pills as devices and drugs, which contradicts the idea of combining agents (Routley). Thus, the future of nanomedicine consists of many aspects which need to be developed.
Works Cited
El-Sayed, Amr, and Mohamed Kamel. “Advances in Nanomedical Applications: Diagnostic, Therapeutic, Immunization, and Vaccine Production.”Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 27, no. 16, 2020, pp. 19200-19213. Web.
Jiang, Linda, and Kim A. Carmichael. “Innovating Nanoethics.”AMA Journal of Ethics, vol. 21, no. 4, 2019, pp. 313-316. Web.
Kumar, Vivek. “Nanotechnology in Medicine: Challenges and Opportunities for Future Nanomedicine.”IndustryWired, 2020, Web.
Routley, Nick. “The Future of Nanotechnology in Medicine.”Visual Capitalist, 2019, Web.
Soares, Sara, et al. “Nanomedicine: principles, Properties, and Regulatory Issues.”Frontiers in Chemistry, vol. 6, 2018, pp. 1-15. Web.