Medical applications of nanotechnology
What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is a technique that involves working with very small particles. These particles are not visible to the naked eye. They’re only slightly larger than atoms, the parts that make up molecules. Nanotechnology is currently emerging and has very interesting applications, especially in the medical field.
Medical applications of nanotechnology
The applications of nanotechnology in the medical world are widespread.
- They’re looking for cancer drugs. The nanoparticles could seek out and destroy the tumor cells. The question is how exactly do the nanoparticles find the tumour cell and how do they destroy it? After all, a tumour cell is still the body’s own and that’s what makes it so difficult to deal with. Results have been achieved with nanoparticles to which a toxic substance for the tumour cell has been attached, but not yet good enough to be applied extensively to humans. An example of this is iron oxide, which is bound to nanoparticles and injected near tumour cells.
- Very small cameras have also been invented, the so-called nanocameras, very useful in operations. They can even enter capillaries, something that is not possible with a fiber optic cable.
- Nanoparticles have been developed that bring an anti-inflammatory in exactly the right place.
- Nanoparticles have been developed that kill bacteria and help cure meningitis.
Other applications of nanotechnology
- In clothing; for example a tie that won’t get dirty or socks that won’t stink.
- In suntan lotion; the particles help to block UV radiation longer than ordinary suntan lotions.
- In nanopaints; especially useful in the arms industry, because planes with nanopaints become invisible on radar.
- Nanofood; food in which the fats consist partly of nanoparticles and therefore contain few calories, a good alternative to lose weight. Another application of nano-food is to change the texture and taste to the consumer’s preference.
- In water purification; the nanoparticles filter the dirty water and convert it into pure water that can be drunk.
Future
We do not know whether nanoparticles are harmful to health, which is why they are not being experimented with on too large a scale. For example, it can have an effect on the offspring. It takes a very long time before we find out if this is actually the case. Of course we can test nanotechnology on laboratory animals, but then we have to convert the results back to humans, because it is not entirely comparable. Of course, it gives a nice indication.
The application of nanotechnology also raises questions; is it ethically responsible to allow people to consume nanoparticles and possibly inject them with medication containing nanoparticles? This has a bit to do with the effects on health, but even more to do with whether people want to consume food that is adjusted to our standards. Think also of genetically modified food. Nanotechnology can offer a good future if we investigate the dangers well and inform the public extensively.