Reviews

Applications of Nanoparticles in Biology and Medicine

Nanomaterials are at the leading edge of the rapidly developing field of nanotechnology. Their unique size-dependent properties make these materials superior and indispensable in many areas of human activity. This brief review tries to summarise the most recent developments in the field of applied nanomaterials, in particular their application in biology and medicine, and discusses their commercialisation prospects.

Canine Parvovirus-Like Particles, a Novel Nanomaterial for Tumor Targeting

Recently, viruses have been explored as nano-containers for specific targeting applications. There exists a subset of viruses with natural affinity for receptors on tumor cells that could be exploited for nanotechnology applications. For example, the canine parvovirus (CPV) utilizes transferrin receptors (TfRs) for binding and cell entry into canine as well as human cells. TfRs are over-expressed by a variety of tumor cells and are widely being investigated for tumor-targeted drug delivery.

Inhaled Nanocrystalline Silver for Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease

Nanocrystalline silver preparations have a number of unique properties that make their use particularly attractive. Nanocrystalline silver is released slowly and avoids the dramatic peaks and troughs of other silver preparations. It has a broad spectrum of activity that includes the organisms that are most problematic in Cystic fibrosis (CF). Nanocrystalline silver appears to have anti-inflammatory properties which may slow some of immune-mediated airway remodeling in CF.

Nanobiotech Makes the Diagnosis

Gazing at an electrical meter, Yi Cui, a graduate student in the Harvard University lab of chemist Charles Lieber, waits for evidence of a remarkable feat in simple, ultrasensitive diagnostics. His target is prostate cancer. His new tool is a microchip bearing 10 silicon wires, each just 10 nanometers (billionths of a meter) wide. These nanowires have been slathered with biological molecules with an affinity for PSA, a protein all too familiar to men of a certain age as the telltale sign of pros

Nanochemistry Brings Big Ideas to Drug Development

Nanopowders, supramolecules, buckyballs, and dendrimers are encouraging pharmaceutical researchers to think small.