Nanotechnology

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Tanya Thienpothong
December 06, 2010



  Research on nanotechnology continues to be explored in various of ways. Among one of the most important developments of nanotechnology is the building and use of nanorobots. Because they are able to manipulate on the molecular scale, nanorobots are especially useful in the field of medicine and health. They can act as chemicals within the body of an organism—mainly human—to transport medicine as carriers and vectors; this process is called the Drug Delivery System. There has not been any major controversial issues with nanotechnology, though it has gained a fictionally bad reputation through entertainment media. While still not perfect, nanotechnology may grow to become a leading factor for medical advancement.           Nanotechnology in the medical field is able to manipulate material on the molecular level, making them ideal medicine carriers or functional replacements for small body parts such as blood cells. Not to be confused with the wildly popular concepts of nanorobots like Borgs from Star Trek or the nanobots from Transformers, nanotechnology is still in the works and a long way to becoming anything like the movies. One of the most important uses for nanotechnology is the Drug Delivery System. A nanoparticle of the DDS consist of a core and a functional attachment, used to stick to whatever cell needs to be treated (Ahmad, 2007). These nanoparticles are not motile on their on and must rely on outside forces like the bloodstream or magnetic control. They are, however, able to target specific locations better than the traditional way of injecting drugs (“Nanotechnology and Medicine”, 2006). Even in it’s developing state, nanotechnology appears to be a worth while venture for new medical opportunities. 

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Nanotechnology** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nanorobots belong into a growing area of research called nanotechnology. Nanotechnology currently has no standard definition and often varies depending on region, discipline, and—more commonly—whether or not one is talking about the latest development in engineering or the latest sci-fi movie (Mulhall, 2002). Even the prefix, — <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//nano// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, is up in the air, being subjected to informal context to describe anything tiny. There are, however, two main definitions of nanotechnology. The most general meaning is simply any technology that is smaller than one hundred nanometers, while the other, more specific, refers to the designing, manipulation, and building of things on a molecular or atomic level (Hall, 2005). To put it in perspective, a nanometer is 10 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 7.2pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">-9 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> meters or one-billionth of a meter. A single sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick, making it possible for more that six thousand possible nanorobots to fit comfortably on that tiny edge (NNI, 2003).

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nanorobots **  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The stereotypical image of a robot is, in essence, similar to what nanorobots are. Where the robots of movies bare resemblances to humans, a carrier nanorobot is made to resemble bacteria—basically a mechanical cell. One of the goals for nano robots is in nanomedicine. Ideally, nanorobots would be used for cancer treatments, cell and bone repair, gene therapy, surgery and a whole multitude of other possibilities. Drug delivery and therapy is already in use, showing significant improvement by reducing the amount of side-effects in patients (“Nanotechnology and Medicine”, 2006). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Depending on their function, nanorobots are typically made out of nanocrystals, magnetic nanoparticles, carbon, and biomaterials such as liposomes and proteins (Ahmad, 2007). Silicon and metals have been considered and are currently in development (Hall, 2005). Considering the role nanorobots plays in medicine, the parts should be biodegradable to avoid an accumulation of nonfunctional particles within the body. Another problem nanorobots face is a system for self-propulsion and a power source. So far, nanorobots rely on external hardware propulsion, not by anything on its own means. Scientists are actually using bacteria flagella as a model, which involves a molecular motor that measure less than 300 hydrogen atoms and rotates 6,000 to 17,000 times per minute (Martel et al, 2009).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Drug Delivery Systems** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Drug Delivery Systems, or DDS, are quickly becoming a popular--though expensive--use for drug therapy or “smart drugs”, diagnostics, and treatment for many diseases like cancer or even allergies. In DDS, the nanorobots are also called nanopar ticles, and they act as carriers for drugs, heat, light, or other nutrients to the cells of the body (“Nanotechnology In Medicine”, 2007). The components that make up these nanoparticles is a core, which is a chemically prepared particle or emulsion, and an attached functional group, used as a way of targeting specific locations (Ahmad, 2007). Nanoparticles can be taken in a pill and orally ingested to enter the bloodstream. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Examples of DDS components: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Ahmad, 2007) Buckyballs, or Buckytubes, is the most common nanostructure that is produced in bulk. It is made out of carbon, and a Buckyball may be made up of 60 carbon atoms ("Nanotechnology in Medicine", 2007). These nanostructures can be used to seize free radicals during an allergic reaction, blocking the inflammation that occurs. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**ADVANTAGES OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE**  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because the root of most human diseases are problems within the molecular scale, nanoparticles offer ideal solutions because of their size. The drugs delivered through nanotechnology is advantageous because of their increased solubility and permeability through cell membranes (Ahmad, 2007). Someday it may be even possible to inject a nanorobot inside the cell nucleus, provided that the robot is small than five or eight microns in diameter (Freitas, 2007).
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nanocrystals
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">liposomes
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nanoparticle-protein conjugates
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">magnetic nanoparticles
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nanogels
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">biodegradable nanoparticles

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What also makes DDS different and possibly better than injecting drugs or cell replacement is the ability to control the molecular structures with programmed functions (Park, 2007). Nanoparticles can be sent to a target location within the body--like individual tissues and cells--and activated on command. An example of this would be nanoparticles used for cancer treatment. The nanoparticles would attach themselves to the cancer cells and when activated by an x-ray, they generate electrons that destroy the cancer cells (“Nanotechnology In Medicine”, 2007). Nanoparticles may also be controlled by magnetic means, as seen in this video: media type="youtube" key="fCSOdQK5PIY?fs=1" height="385" width="480" align="center" __ **Company Directory for Nanomedcine** __ <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Production of nano-products is regulated by the FDA in the US. Here are a few companies that sell and develop nanomedicine that exist today: (Table taken from <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #000000; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; padding-right: 10px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understanding Nano .)
 * < **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Company ** ||< **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Product ** ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|BioDelivery Sciences] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oral drug delivery of drugs encapuslated in a nanocrystalline structure called a cochleate ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|CytImmune] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gold nanoparticles for targeted delivery of drugs to tumors ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Invitrogen] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Qdots for medical imaging ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Smith and Nephew] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Antimicrobial wound dressings using silver nanocrystals ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Luna Inovations] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bucky balls to block inflammation by trapping free radicals ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|NanoBio] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nanoemulsions for nasal delivery to fight viruses (such as the flu and colds) or through the skin to fight bacteria ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|NanoBioMagnetics] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Magnetically responsive nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and other applications ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Nanobiotix] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nanoparticles that target tumor cells, when irradiated by xrays the nanoparticles generate electrons which cause localized destruction of the tumor cells. ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Nanospectra] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AuroShell particles (nanoshells) for thermal destruction of cancer tissue ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Nanosphere] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diagnostic testing using gold nanoparticles to detect low levels of proteins indicating particular diseases ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Nanotherapeutics] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nanoparticles for improving the performance of drug delivery by oral or nasal methods ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Oxonica] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diagnostic testing using gold nanoparticles (biomarkers) ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|T2 Biosystems] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diagnostic testing using magnetic nanoparticles ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Z-Medica] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Medical gauze containing aluminosilicate nanoparticles which help blood clot faster in open wounds. ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Sirnaomics] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nanoparticle enhanced techniques for delivery of siRNA ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Makefield Therapeutics] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nanoparticle cream for delivery of nitric oxide gas to treat infection ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|DNA Medicine Institute] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">testing system ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|NanoViricides] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Drugs called nanoviricides™ designed to attack virus particles ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|NanoMedia] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Targeted drug delivery ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Taiwan Liposome] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Drug delivery using lipsomes ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Traversa Therapeutics] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Delivery of siRNA molecules ||
 * < <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #0000ff; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|Nano Science Diagnostics] ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diagnostic testing system ||

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> __**PROBLEMS WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DDS faces many problems, including the development, production, and manufacturing of microproducts ("Nanotechnology in Medicine", 2007). All the products must be safe for the human body, and the material used to build them might not be biodegradable. Overtime, if a patient continues using a certain nanoproduct, an accumulation of these nanoparticles may be harmful to the body (Mulhall, 2002). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> **FUTURE** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Nanotechnology is still a relatively new science, constantly growing and changing. In the medical field, designs for nanorobots are cropping up, like the microvore-- a nanobot that would patrol the blood stream, eating harmful bacteria (Hall, 2005). Someday, nanobots might also be used to cut away blood clots with tiny sensing razors, preventing heart disease. For now, research is still being done on being able to engineer such tiny components-- the theory is there, but an actual method to build a fully functional and motile nanobot still remains unsolved.
 * “Nanopanic”**media type="youtube" key="eumDcge_Ozo?fs=1" height="385" width="480" align="right" <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The idea of nanotechnology has perhaps existed even before the actual scientific concept. Though not specifically not called “nanotechnology”, robots going crazy and taking over the world has been popular plot fuel for science-fiction novels, television shows, and Hollywood movies. In 2000, an extensive article was published in <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Wired// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> magazine about computer software desig ner Bill Joy, warning about the dangers of nanotechnology, particularly ‘grey-goo’ (Bainbridge, 2007). He claimed that nanobots, if built, would become aerovores, capable of destroying all living things. As the term suggests, aerovores eat air, and nanotechnology is capable of creating such creatures, though engineering has not gotten that advance yet. His article became hugely popular via the Internet and other media outlets, inspiring a multitude of movies and novels rather than nanopanic. Even so, nanotechnology has been saddled with a rather negative stereotype by the general public.

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<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> (All images used link to original source.)
 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ahmad, Shoaib. "[|Nanotechnology in drug delivery: introduction and recent developments]." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//The Internet Journal of Nanotechnology// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (2007). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Health Reference Center Academic// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bainbridge, William Sims. 2007. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Nanoconvergence: the Unity of Nanoscience, Biotechnology, Information Technology, and Cognitive Science// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Freitas, R. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//The Ideal Gene Delivery Vector: Chromallocytes, Cell Repair Nanobots for Chromosome Replacement Therapy// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Published by the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, (2007).
 * 4) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hall, J. Storrs. 2005. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Nanofuture: What’s Next for Nanotechnology// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Prometheus Books, N.Y.,
 * 5) <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Martel, S., Mohammadi, M., Felfoul, O., Lu, Z., and Pouponneau, P. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Flagellated Magnetotactic Bacteria as Controlled MRI-trackable Propulsion and Steering Systems for Medical Nanorobots Operating in the Human Microvasculature// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Published online in PubMed, (2009).
 * 6) Mulhall, Douglas. 2002. Our Molecular Future: How Nanotechnology, Robotics, Genetics, and Artificial Intelligence will Transform our World. Prometheus Books, Amherst, N.Y.
 * 7) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Nanotechnology and Medicine." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//The Project on Emerging Nanotechnology// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. PEN, 2006. Web. 6 Dec 2010.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Nanotechnology in Medicine." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Understanding Nano// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Hawk's Perch Technical Writing, 2007. Web. 6 Dec 2010.
 * 9) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">National Nanotechnology Initiative, [|FAQs: Nanotechnology], (2003).
 * 10) <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Park, K. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Nanotechnology: What can it do for drug delivery// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Published online in PubMed (2007).