Home > News > Nanotechnoglogy world: Nanomedicine offers new cures: Cutting-edge developments in nanotechnology offer new ways of preventing and treating diseases, including cancer
September 5th, 2011
Nanotechnoglogy world: Nanomedicine offers new cures: Cutting-edge developments in nanotechnology offer new ways of preventing and treating diseases, including cancer
Abstract:
The human body is a nanoscale engineer par excellence. Our cells push and pull billions of molecules around every second in order to grow, communicate with each other, attack invaders or heal after injury. Even though this frenzied buzz of activity is managed at a macro- (or system-) scale by key-role organs, including our brain, it always relies on the rules of physics and chemistry, which are coded within these biomolecules, that apply at the nanoscale. However, we usually give this feat of automatic engineering a more familiar name: biology.
Interpreting, replicating and modulating our biology in a bid to make our lives healthier and happier is one of the aims of the modern nanoscientist. One way of doing this is to detect the possible development of disease: nanoscience will provide better tools to look for the molecular clues that signal potential problems before they occur.
Engineers at Ohio State University, for example, have invented polymeric nanoparticles stuffed with even smaller particles of semiconductors (called "quantum dots") that shine with different colours depending on the molecules they are attached to. The resulting complex nanoparticles can glow red, yellow and green, allowing scientists to track the movements of, say, a range of molecules in a cancer cell under a microscope. Scientists could use these nanoparticles to observe the development of a cancer at the molecular level, giving them key insights into how to stop or treat the disease.
Source:
guardian.co.uk
Bookmark:
| Related News Press |
News and information
Quantum computer improves AI predictions April 17th, 2026
Flexible sensor gains sensitivity under pressure April 17th, 2026
A reusable chip for particulate matter sensing April 17th, 2026
Detecting vibrational quantum beating in the predissociation dynamics of SF6 using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy April 17th, 2026
Nanomedicine
A fundamentally new therapeutic approach to cystic fibrosis: Nanobody repairs cellular defect April 17th, 2026
New molecular technology targets tumors and simultaneously silences two ‘undruggable’ cancer genes August 8th, 2025
New imaging approach transforms study of bacterial biofilms August 8th, 2025
Electrifying results shed light on graphene foam as a potential material for lab grown cartilage June 6th, 2025
Announcements
A fundamentally new therapeutic approach to cystic fibrosis: Nanobody repairs cellular defect April 17th, 2026
UC Irvine physicists discover method to reverse ‘quantum scrambling’ : The work addresses the problem of information loss in quantum computing system April 17th, 2026
Quantum Dots/Rods
A new kind of magnetism November 17th, 2023
IOP Publishing celebrates World Quantum Day with the announcement of a special quantum collection and the winners of two prestigious quantum awards April 14th, 2023
Qubits on strong stimulants: Researchers find ways to improve the storage time of quantum information in a spin rich material January 27th, 2023
NIST’s grid of quantum islands could reveal secrets for powerful technologies November 18th, 2022
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||