Current advances in nanotechnology and medicine

Abstract

One of the most imperative questions that arise is why we are indulging ourselves in nanotechnology and medicine. The rationale is its size in nanometer range which makes it easy to enter into cells of human body making it beneficial for special types of cell target therapy such as efficient delivery of drugs to the target cell and competent detection of diseases. Studies have come up with one more beneficial factor, that is, the nanoparticles can also protect drug from degradation because of the shield-like properties. The elemental proposition upon which nanomedicine is pursued is nanoparticles, which are introduced into the body as foreign bodies and are subjected to the full armory of the body’s defense system labeled with antibody molecules targeting specific cells. Diverse types and forms of nanoparticles are used in medicine. Advances in the area of nanomedicine have come a long way since the time it was envisioned to be studied. The objectives and goal to establish global roadmaps in nanomedicine are guided by the need to take care of life-threatening clinical issues. Nanomedicine has a potential to combat several human diseases including cancer as well as infectious, neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular diseases. In this chapter we will be discussing the ongoing progress of nanotechnology and its application in various fields of medicine.