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Nanomedicine: The Medicine of Tomorrow

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Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology

Part of the book series: NanoScience and Technology ((NANO))

Abstract

Nowadays nanotechnology has become a technological field with great potential since it can be applied in almost every aspect of modern life. One of the sectors where nanotechnology is expected to play a vital role is the field of medical science. The interaction of nanotechnology with medicine gave birth to a completely new scientific field called nanomedicine. Nanomedicine is a field that aims to use the nanotechnology tools and principles in order to improve human health in every possible way. Nanotechnology provides monitoring tools and technology platforms that can be used in terms of detection, diagnostic, bioanalysis and imaging. New nanoscale drug-delivery systems are constantly designed with different morphological and chemical characteristics and unique specificity against tumours, offering a less harmful approach alternative to chemo- and radiotherapies. Furthermore, nanotechnology has led to great breakthroughs in the field of tissue engineering, making the replacement of damaged tissues and organs a much feasible procedure. The thorough analysis of bio and non-bio interactions achieved by versatile nanotools is essential for the design and development of highly performed medical implants. The continuous revolution in nanotechnology will result in the fabrication of nanostructures with properties and functionalities that can benefit patient’s physiology faster and more effectively than conventional medical procedures and protocols. The number of nanoscale therapeutical products is rapidly growing since more and more nanomedical designs are reaching the global market. However the nanotoxic impact that these designs can have on human health is an era that requires still more investigation. The development of specific guidance documents at a European level for the safety evaluation of nanotechnology products in medicine is strongly recommended and the need for further research in nanotoxicology is identified. Ethical and moral concerns also need to be addressed in parallel with the new developments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    S. Logothetidis

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  1. , Lab for Thin Films-Nanosystems, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece

    Stergios Logothetidis

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Logothetidis, S. (2012). Nanomedicine: The Medicine of Tomorrow. In: Logothetidis, S. (eds) Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology. NanoScience and Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24181-9_1

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